


She's Mine

by cheekyssam



Category: IZONE (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst and Drama, F/F, Omega Verse, hitomixeveryone, nakotomi, ssambbang
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-24 19:33:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21104834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheekyssam/pseuds/cheekyssam
Summary: Hitomi is an Omega. Her current roommate is an Alpha. Half of her groupmates are Alphas.Moreover, she's not an ordinary Omega.





	1. Chapter 1

**S**ounds of the wooden door being pounded echo throughout the bathroom. Inside the cream-colored room, curling on the shower stall is a young girl with blonde hair—Honda Hitomi, the youngest Omega of 4th gen girlgroup IZ*ONE. The girl is shivering uncontrollably, but despite the violent shake of her body, she doesn't feel cold.

Instead of the cold, Hitomi can only feel excessive warmth seeping through every pore of her skin, scorching her insides, burning her all over. All she wanted to do was to strip and take a cool shower, but she knows it's a silly thought considering the coldness of the night's air. She'd rather not risk herself to die of hypothermia.

But the risk of dying sounds better than the other option. A cold shower won't get rid of the pain in her lower area, but at least she will die peacefully. She'd rather die a pure virgin rather than live on the shame of being ravaged by an Alpha who apparently lost her mind. The same Alpha is still trying to break down the door – the only object separating them.

Hitomi is in heat. Not her first time after her coming of age, not her first time either having an Alpha going literally crazy under her heat pheromones, but her first time to encounter them without the protection of her Beta friends.

Her pheromone... it's not an ordinary one. While her scent is rather common (peach and vanilla are one of the most common scent combinations for Omegas), there is something about it that makes it very enticing to Alphas. In her High Heat phase, it can somehow even enticed Omegas. According to Hyewon, Hitomi's scent is sweeter than most Omega she ever knew of. Sweeter, but not too sweet until it's become rather pungent. It's the type of sweet that you have no qualms on indulging it again, again, and again until you know you've fucked up your body.

Of course, there are people who are immune to her scent. Such as Nako, the only Pure Beta of the group. Like any other Pure Betas, she's not affected by others' pheromones whatsoever. And she recently discovered that her senpai, Sakura, while a Sub-Alpha like Chaeyeon, is also unaffected for some reason she doesn't know.

But since _everyone else _is affected (though for Halfling Betas the effect isn't as tremendous), Hitomi has to be careful with her heat and situations that can make her scent goes uncontrolled. For that, she always makes sure to apply Scent-Blockers and Scent-Patches, and dilligently consumes specialized Suppressant every two months.

But it turns out using them too much proves to be a bitch. Once you miss it, you're going to be fucked up real bad. The pain will double, so does the pheromone emitted. She fucked up once and she swore on not forgetting her Suppressant again.

But alas, due to their strict schedule Hitomi lost track of her own heat schedule and once she realized she's about to due _now_, it's already too late. Unfortunate events always strike at unfortunate times, it seems. Because right now, she's been assigned to room with an Alpha.

No, not just any other Alpha.

It's Kim Chaewon.

"HITOMI!"

Hitomi cowers, shrinking into the furthest corner of the shower as the poundings become even more aggressive.

It's true that Chaewon is one of the softest Alpha she has ever met in her lifetime, second being Chaeyeon. Quite surprising considering Chaewon comes from a family of Pure Alpha, and Pure Alpha is supposed to be the top of the food chain. They are naturally aggressive and territorial, with uncontrollable ruts that will only stop if the goal has been reached.

For Hitomi to think Chaewon will stay the same even after being exposed to a lethal dose of her abnormal heat pheromone, is both naïve and stupid of her.

The Omega in heat can only whine, pressing her burning body to the wall, hoping the coolness can ease the fire on her flash, even just a little. However, it proves to be futile, as the bitter – _angry_ – mint scent coming from the gap between the door and the floor only makes her situation worse. Her body heats up even more and the pain on her abdomen only roars alive, her throbbing core only oozing more fluids as her nose greedily inhales the scent.

She wills herself to just _stop_, but it's easier said than done.

Needless to say, she failed.

The Omega curls, her trembling fingers gingerly reaches the waistband of her shorts, tentatively reaching further until her fingers found the opening of her womanhood. She couldn't help but to feel ashamed of herself, once she realized how aroused she is being just by the Alpha's scent alone.

Hitomi feels tears starting to prick her vision with every small motion she makes against the throbbing walls. It's embarrassing how her body shudders and sinful moans starting to bubble on her throat, begging to be released.

"OPENTHIS DOOR!"

The banging continues, along with the frantic attempt to turn the locked doorknob.

The Omega sighs, willing herself to ignore the growls coming from the other side of the door. Her face flushing as she thrust her fingers deep inside her, maintaining the pace that proves to be quite effective on taming the painful throbs on her core

But still,

** _It's just not enough_ **

She wanted that Alpha right behind that door, but she's afraid. Her guilty conscience overrides her heat haze as she tried to think about anything but Chaewon.

She knows it's futile – to not think of Chaewon. How can she not? The Alpha is right in front of her – only separated by an easily breakable wooden door, if Chaewon wants it – and furthermore, she loves Chaewon. But Chaewon is dating Minjoo.

It feels wrong, because she knows how deep Chaewon's love is for Minjoo and vice versa. They are a perfect couple. A Pure Alpha and a Pure Omega.

For now, Chaewon might still consider her an important person in her life, but it's only a matter of time before an abnormal, impure, Omega mutt like her is thrown away.

What is she thinking, having a fantasy so delusional and wrong? It's wrong to have someone from the highest caste to fawn over someone from the lowest of the lowest caste. It's wrong to have Chaewon going crazy because of her pheromone. It's wrong have herself falling in love with someone so unobtainable. It's wrong have herself loving Chaewon more than sisters should.

** _It's wrong to let herself fall in love with Chaewon, and expect her to love her back._ **

"Please stop!" Hitomi cries, her voice straining as she cries her plea. She hugs her body tightly and presses her legs together, feeling the painful sensation returning with the retreat of her own fingers. Her body angrily punishes her for denying release, making Hitomi release another shrill cry as the sensation of her gut being wrenched and burned return in full force.

But then, the banging stopped--and all Hitomi can hear is silence. Deafening silence that makes her skin crawl in terror. Terror so great she doesn't feel any pain, just adrenaline pumping to her senses as the hair on her neck stands. Danger. She can sense inevitable danger coming ahead.

_Click_

All colors drain out from Hitomi when the door swings open, revealing Chaewon, smugly dropping whatever tool she uses to open the locked door to the floor with a clatter. The Alpha takes a step forward, her nostrils inhaling the sweet addicting scent greedily.

"Omega," Chaewon growls, low and primal, her eyes are red and her lips are pulled into a smirk, her Alpha canines peeking out from her pink lips. She doesn't wait as she marches on, trapping the Omega without any way out with her arms.

Hitomi whines, frantically trying to resist Chaewon who swiftly secured both of her hands, securing them over her head as the Alpha pins her to the cool wall of the shower with only one of her hand. Hitomi stubbornly tries to resist by frantically moving her limbs around, mustering all of her adrenaline-pumped muscle to fight back but Chaewon lives up to her Alpha heritage and doesn't even budge, even when her knee lands on her private area. It fuels her desire even more.

"Don't test my patience," She growls again and claims Hitomi's lips in a forceful kiss.

Hitomi tries to scream, but the slight parting of her lips is used to Chaewon's advantage. The Alpha doesn't wait until she shoves her tongue inside her oral cavity, her tongue easily gaining dominance.

Her hand travels down to roam under Hitomi's plain white shirt, letting her cold fingers ghost along the skin, sending shivers down the Omega's spine. Smirking against the kiss, Chaewon yanks the fabric up, rolling the hem until the Omega's breasts are exposed.

Hitomi tries to cover herself by curling her body, but the sight of her mounds bouncing slightly only makes the rutting Alpha more aroused.

"Such a naughty Omega," Chaewon murmurs as she moves her lips to Hitomi's sensitive ear, nibbling it until it reddens before moving to treat the mounds with her mouth. Hitomi bites back a moan, trying hard not to enjoy the sensation of Chaewon playing with her breasts, kneading and licking them in turns.

Dissatisfied by the lack of reaction, Chaewon growls out a warning as she yanked Hitomi's drenched short pants and panties off in one go.

The Omega weakly shakes her head, her tearful eyes are begging Chaewon to stop, because it feels wrong – _because it's wrong_ – but the Alpha didn't listen. If anything, it only gives her more reason to continue.

Swiftly, the Alpha inserts a finger, forcing her way through the clenching walls until it's knuckle-deep. The Omega releases a sob, her lips trembling as she mutters her pleas that fall to deaf ears. Her pained whimpers only make the Alpha more ferocious as she inserts another digit, pumping it in and out, angered that Hitomi is _still not screaming her name_.

"Scream," She commands, growling her words as she nips the soft jawline of the younger girl.

Hitomi whimpers louder as the sharp tip of Chaewon's fangs rips a fragment of her skin, leaving a thin trail of blood on its wake. She bites her lips hard, fighting the urge to scream out her pleasure with the fingers curling adventurously inside her. Her body is shaking uncontrollably, but Hitomi is still stubborn about not giving in to her heat lust.

Her action hurts her whole body and mind, but it's the only way to prevent Chaewon from making her biggest mistake ever.

The Omega knows the Alpha isn't pleased. Downright angry, even.

Snarling, Chaewon grabs a fistful of Hitomi's blonde hair, pulling her head back until her neck is fully exposed. Through her blurred vision, she can see the red eyes of the Alpha become darker as her scent is exposed in full force. She loudly moans as Chaewon dips her head down and starts to give the milky white skin of her neck rough bites at the same time as the Omega comes, hips bucking within Chaewon's fingers.

"Un-unnie—" No, this is not Chaewon she knows, "A_-Alpha_, please..." Hitomi whines weakly. The grip on her hair becomes tighter as the bites are becoming rougher and hurtful. Her arms weakly rest themselves on Chaewon's shoulders, clawing the shirt as she tries to shove her away but to no avail.

What's an Omega like herself could do?

She feels the Alpha grins against her skin as she pulls back her fingers, dripping with Hitomi's juices. Hitomi whines, the heat and throbbing pain of her core returning in full force. She instinctively curls herself, but Chaewon prevents her so.

Confused and afraid, Hitomi tries to resist the painful feeling on her scalp and looks down, hearing a rustle of fabric. What she saw drains all color on her face.

The sight of Chaewon's length, though it's very brief, its tip dripping in precum causes her insides to stir. She doesn't like it – how it roars and seems to be begging her to just let loose. She _can't, _she _won't_. She _will _fight back, even if she loses in the end.

All guilt, all idle thoughts, left Hitomi's mind as Chaewon thrust her length deeply inside her without any warning.

"So... tight..." Chaewon purrs, enjoying how Hitomi's walls clenching around her length needily, ignoring the pitiful mewls of the Omega.

Hitomi lets out a weak whimper, feeling the size of the older girl's seeming to fill her insides _too well_. Chaewon is not at all small – Chaewon is a Pure, after all. She screams as Chaewon starts to move rather roughly, because it _hurts_ yet – so _so _good at the same time.

The Omega continues to let out several strangled, pained moans as the Alpha continues to pistons her hips roughly like a beast, her pace didn't slow even just for a second. Chaewon's head dips lower, her back hunched as she trails butterfly kisses down to Hitomi's collarbone, only stopping for a second to rip Hitomi's shirt apart, then continues to the Omega's shoulders then to her bare chest. Her kisses are rough and needy, her sharp teeth leaving bite marks along Hitomi's chest.

The pain eventually disappears with each thrust, Hitomi realizes, but stubbornly denies the fact.

Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as her mouth spews out more uncontrolled moans, few are even obscenely loud to the point Hitomi notices Chaewon is proudly smirking against her skin.

Feeling that the Omega doesn't show any resistance, she released Hitomi's hair and used both of her arms to support her weight as her body pushed Hitomi further to the wall, molding their body together as she continued on burying her shaft deep inside Hitomi's warmth, pulling it in and out with more power.

Hitomi lets out a pitiful mewl, her arms weakly drape over to her side before resting them on Chaewon's shoulders again, clawing them with her blunt nails, sobbing in pain as her pace quickened so suddenly without any warning. Chaewon is acting on pure animalistic primal instinct and it honestly scares her.

Chaewon leans up, and once again claimed Hitomi's lips in another bruising kiss. A way to put the sobs into silence as she thrusts her shaft with more strength, the thirst for more was yet to be quenched.

The Alpha trails the Omega's neck with more urgency this time, she could feel a knot was growing and the urge to mark Hitomi intensified. She bites down on the bruised skin, her thrusts slowing down with the knot she forced to bury inside the Omega's walls.

She hears small whimpers of protests coming from Hitomi, but she decides to ignore it.

An Omega like her has no right to refuse. She has Imprinted her. She _bends_ to her, whether she likes it or not.

** _she's mine. mine. mine. mine. no one else's. mine. only mine._ **

True to her thinking, Hitomi couldn't say no. Her protests are nothing. Because her body wanted it and Chaewon's instinct-driven self wanted it, that's all mattered.

Chaewon drawls out her name as she continuously pounds into her, growling out her pleasure as she bites down to Hitomi's neck harder than before.

The Omega screams, both of pleasure, as she comes again right after Chaewon emptied her seeds inside her; and pain, as Chaewon's sinks her canines deep on Hitomi's flesh to the point Hitomi feels the mark bleeds out. She sobs, bracing herself to muster up the last bits of strength to _resist the mark._

Yet once again, Hitomi finds herself losing. She can't scream anymore when Chaewon leaves the first Claiming mark on the right side of her neck.

Once she is finished, the Alpha kisses the deep mark deeply and tenderly, much to Hitomi's utter confusion.

"My Omega..." Chaewon leans up again, but this time she's smiling. Hitomi meets her gaze with half-lidded eyes, a bit taken aback with the loving glint on the dark red orbs rather than the hint of blood on her lips.

"Hitomi," She breathes, her name rolls out from her tongue with so much love and tenderness that makes Hitomi widen her eyes in surprise and confusion. "You are mine," She continues, purring as she buries her nose deep to the crook of Hitomi's neck, giving the mark another gentle kiss.

Chaewon puts the Omega down to her feet, her arms wrapping around Hitomi in a possessive embrace as she whispers to her ear, "My mate, my Omega, you're mine... no one else's... soon..."

Speechless, Hitomi lets the Alpha leans into her fully as she lost consciousness.

Carefully, using the last bit of strength after their... business, she gets rid of Chaewon's pants and cleaned both her body and Chaewon as best as she can from their mixed juices. Once she's done, she lays Chaewon on her bed, wrapped in clean clothes and a warm towel.

Uneasily, Hitomi lays on her own bed, topless but still wearing her underwear. It's their last day in this country before returning to Korea, so she doesn't have any clean clothes for bed.

Her fingers gingerly touch the deep Claiming mark Chaewon engraved during her haze. It's not supposed to happen. She's not supposed to be marked and Chaewon isn't supposed to mark her. Chaewon is supposed to mark her mate, not her. Chaewon is supposed to mark a Pure Omega like Minjoo, not her.

Not an abnormal Omega like _her._

Hitomi feels her tears are starting to prick her eyes and buries herself deeper under the cover. She couldn't imagine how others would react after seeing the mating mark on her neck.

With that, Hitomi falls into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Hitomi wakes up first and tries to reach for a bathrobe on the chair, but unfortunately, Chaewon wakes up before she even succeeded on securing a fabric over her bare chest. Immediately, Hitomi dives back to her bed.

"Morning," The redhead croaks with half-lidded eyes, clearly tired from last night. Hitomi tensed and tried to cover the marks on her neck, but most importantly the bite mark, by snuggling deeper under the covers.

"Morning," Hitomi replies, weak and unsure. Chaewon smiles lazily at her and Hitomi feels relieved she doesn't remember. "Sleep well, unnie?"

"Uh-uh," Chaewon replies brightly, and looks at her clothes and Hitomi who is still under covers. "Whoa, Hitomi are you naked?"

The Omega blushes, but nods her head. "You were drunk," she reasons, trying her best to control her shaky voice, "And puked all over me and it happens that I don't have any clothes left."

"You should have taken my clothes."

Hitomi shrugs. Her movement causes a bit of her shoulders exposed, unknowingly causing a heat to pool down Chaewon's stomach. "I need your consent to take your things, A- unnie."

Chaewon allows a mischievous smirk on her lips as she leaps to Hitomi's bed, the owner of the bed shrieks in terror and surprise as Chaewon attempts to dive into the covers. Hitomi manages to kick the Alpha away several times but Chaewon keeps on stubbornly going back. After a while, Chaewon finally succeeded.

Hitomi watches, horrified as Chaewon's expression turns from playful, to shock, and to anger as she noticed the biting marks on Hitomi's bare shoulders.

Without any warning, Chaewon pounces on her, slamming her against the headboard of Hitomi's bed. Still reeling from the impact, the Omega drapes both of her arms over her chest, desperately trying to block it from Chaewon.

"Tell me," Chaewon growls. "Did I do this to you?"

Hitomi whimpers submissively, her Omega instinct kicking in with the Alpha releasing her scent. She shakes her head first, testing out whether or not Chaewon believed her.

She didn't.

"When I was drunk," she growls again, "Did I or did I not?!"

Chaewon narrows her eyes and her scent turns unbearably bitter. So Hitomi nods her head, just slightly. She lets her body tremble under Chaewon's scrunitizing gaze, surrendering to her fate.

_She will hate me now._

Chaewon snarls and yanks Hitomi's arms away, revealing her chest which littered with swollen red teeth marks, but her attention is focused on the prominent mark under Hitomi's right ear.

The Alpha feels her head spin as familiar, ugly, feeling starts to bubble on her insides. She isn't sure whether she's angry or guilty, but she knows one thing.

_When an Omega in heat is marked by an Alpha in rut, it is the Omega's fault._

Chaewon knows it's not fair, but had Hitomi controlled her heat, she wouldn't have marked her. If she controlled her heat better, she would ruin the beautiful skin with these... strangely fitting marks.

"Why didn't you stop me?" She queries, her voice is low and dangerous.

"I – " Hitomi is conflicted. She didn't have any choice back then, not with how strong Chaewon was being on her rut. After all, Chaewon was fully controlled by her primal instinct _and _under the effect of alcohol. But spilling the truth will hurt Chaewon's pride and she will blame herself constantly, both from cheating on her partner and forcing herself to Hitomi.

But then again, if it wasn't Hitomi who is in heat, Chaewon wouldn't have lost control of herself. It was _her_ fault for having an irresistible pheromone. It was _her _fault for making Chaewon lost control and marked her without both of their consent.

It was _Hitomi's_ fault.

Hitomi made up her mind.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP ME?!"

"BECAUSE I WANTED YOU TO!" Hitomi shouted, sobbing as she feels her heart breaks a little. She covered her face with both of her hands as she continued to sob. "I figured that by doing this... I can make you mine... that's why –"

"..."

Hitomi grits her teeth, swallowing her sobs to and pour out the words she longs to say so much:

"Because I love you."

"You disgust me."

Hitomi feels shivers running down her spine as Chaewon's cold voice enters her ears. She feels her head spin and a dull ache suddenly surfacing on her heart, making her want to wrench her heart out to remove it.

"I thought you're different than other Omegas," Chaewon continued, still in her soft but cold voice. "Turns out you're the same as them. I thought of you as my own sister, someone I wished to protect with my life but yet, you did this to me? Now what, you're going to tell the press that you're my mate? Huh?! Tell me Hitomi, did you deliberately put something on me so I can't remember whatever I did last night? So I would fuck you senseless while you're in heat?!" Chaewon hisses out angrily, slamming both of her palms to the headboard and makes Hitomi cowers even more.

_Where was the gentle and soft Kim Chaewon she knows?_

"I love Minjoo," She adds softly, and it's only then Hitomi notices Chaewon is crying, too. "I want her to be my mate, Hitomi. I want her to by my mate after this _thing _ended but you wrenched it off me. You took it from me, the only good that will happen after our _dream_ ends..."

Hitomi flinched as Chaewon harshly removed herself and storms outside the hotel room, leaving the Omega crying to herself.

  
  



	2. Fault

**N**othing exciting happened as the day progressed, although Hitomi has to hold herself from flinching every time Chaewon shifted a little closer, or when the Alpha's gaze met her own. She purposefully avoids other Alpha and Omega, choosing to stick by the Beta who can't really smell the musky, ownership scent Chaewon imprinted on her during the..._ incident._

Hitomi avoids Minjoo like a plague, always trying her best to distance herself from the Pure Omega out of guilt and fear of Minjoo.

With Chaewon and Minjoo dating, it's only natural for Minjoo to think Chaewon as her 'property', despite the lack of matching mating marks decorating their neck.

Minjoo is gifted with better olfactory senses with her being a Pure, she can confront Hitomi as of why does Hitomi smelled of musk – scent that can only clings to Omega if they were imprinted by Alpha. Hitomi can't lie very well and Minjoo knows her too well to see through her poor attempt of lying, so it's a given Hitomi will spill the truth to Minjoo as soon as Minjoo confronted her about it.

Hitomi feared for the worst if she stayed too close with Minjoo. She fears of what it may lead.

Minjoo is one of the most even-tempered person she knows, but Omega is possessive by nature and it's not pretty when they are burning in jealousy. She can't predict whether or not Minjoo will lash out to her, blaming her for luring what is _hers_ to satisfy her selfish needs. But should Minjoo takes her side and doesn't blame her for what she can't control, it will directly cause the strain in the couple's relationship, damaging it to no end and will affect Minjoo physically.

And Hitomi doesn't want Minjoo to experience it.

* * *

Days passed since then, and Hitomi still keeps on getting nightmares.

Of Chaewon doing _that _to her, of what consequences it later would bring if the news leaked out, of her comrades' reaction, of... getting shunned by her comrades.

It's what she fears the most.

** _Shunned._ **

In this world, Omega in heat getting raped by Alpha is a common case. Never really solved, because it's unpunishable by laws.

People seem to always turn a blind eye to this type of case.

Always blaming the Omega—the _victims_, for their own misfortune.

_Alpha can bed any Omega of their choice as long as the Omega isn't mated because it's Omega's job to satiate Alpha's lust. Omega in heat getting raped is not rape because they are asking for it. Alpha just wanted to help Omega—_

Always the same speech. The same prejudice. The same insult.

Hitomi's only choice is that: Silence.

Not letting anyone know. Not letting _anything _know. Even it's her shadow.

It's hard, because she has to cry on her own when the nightmares, the pain, the sickening feeling come back, crashing like a meteor.

She only has herself to lean on, to comfort, to ease the pain, to treat the wounds that forever will be breaking her heart, marring her pride, and tearing her soul apart.

She only has her own, weak self, to fight against the demon that torments her every night—every _day_, and she has to keep herself _strong_ not only for herself, but for everyone else around her.

There's no other choice but move on.

However hard it may be.

* * *

With Japanese comeback rolling around again, they naturally have a set of schedules in Japan soon and Hitomi dreads the time where they have to assign roommates.

Hitomi had just finished her latest heat when their manager breaks out the news to them, when they are in the middle of preparing to film something for special showcase.

Despite being thickly coated in Scent-Blockers and covered in Scent-Patches to both hide the mark and the imprinted scent, Hitomi is still brimming with her irresistible pheromones when their manager gathered all of them inside this relatively cramped room. He just wants the news to be delivered once, and doesn't realize it's a bad idea with how Hitomi's scent just filled the room.

Alphas can't stop twitching, even after all these months spent living with her. Except Sakura, the Alphas show signs of being affected.

The Omegas are a lot calmer, but they don't look like they are focused on their manager's speeches with how often they glanced at her.

"Now," the manager finishes, "is there something you'd like to ask or request?"

It doesn't surprise Hitomi when Chaewon immediately asked the management to switch whoever roommate assigned to her later will not be Hitomi. Their head manager carelessly says that she's free to switch roommate as long as she's not rooming with her significant other. To avoid unwanted things, he said.

Ironic, because that unwanted thing happened to _Hitomi, _not to _Minjoo_.

In the end, they compromised, Hitomi will be rooming with either the Betas or the Omegas, but preferably with the Betas as Yena suggested. It's not like Yena trying to separate Hitomi from the other Omegas, but she and the other Betas had witnessed how Hyewon nearly lost control by just a whiff of Hitomi's heat pheromones. If Hyewon, a mated Omega, could lose control then what of Minjoo, who is yet to be mated?

"Then it's decided, Hitomi will room with either of you three," their manager finalizes, looking exhausted as he lands his gaze to Yena, Yuri, and Nako, who looked triumphant. He turns to Hitomi, a soft smile tugging on his lips as he slightly lowers his head, to make the distressed Omega feels more at ease. "Hitomi, do you agree?"

Hitomi looks up briefly, startled, before going back on lowering her gaze to the floor and continues on fiddling her fingers. "I – I don't mind that..." Truthfully, she's more than glad to have one of the Betas as her roommates rather than Hyewon or Minjoo. It's not like she doesn't like Hyewon and Minjoo, but after Nako recounted the time when the Betas had to literally fight the Alphas and Omegas with tooth and nail because Hitomi's heat pheromone had gone haywire, she has to think twice before rooming with one of the two older Omegas.

Plus, there's this _incident _to add to her consideration...

"Great!" He beams a smile at her, and Hitomi feels content to have the Beta smiling so earnestly and offers a smile of her own, making the man's smile grows wider.

"Why can't I room with my girlfriend then?" He shifts his attention to the group of Alphas, who all looked agitated beyond measure. Even the usually composed leader.

His warm gaze turns cold as the sight of seething Pure Alpha enters his vision. "Chaewon-ssi. Enough. I don't hear Eunbi complaining not rooming with her mate." He says sharply, rising out from his seat as he nods to the stylists, ending the discussion swiftly with the stylist starting their work.

An Omega stylist approaches Hitomi, asking the idol to follow her to a more secluded area upon noticing the distinct post-heat pheromones. Hitomi hesitates at first, briefly explains that her pheromone is a bit abnormal and can maybe arouse the stylist. The stylist merely laughs and shows Hitomi her wedding ring and claiming mark as a form of assurance nothing will happen.

Hitomi nods and the stylist begins her work.

A couple of minutes later, the stylist is done with her hair but not yet quite done with her first stage clothes. As she helps Hitomi dressing up, she notices a claiming mark barely peeking from behind the carelessly placed Scent-Patch.

It looks... old and new at the same time.

It's not healing very well—just like any claiming mark she knows of in her lifetime.

"Miss?" She gasps before she can stop herself, alarming Hitomi.

Hitomi automatically covers it, realizing she didn't do a great job on covering the mark. Her eyes darts around in panic, her mind quickly filled with the fear of everyone noticing the musky tint on her scent.

Those shaking pupils finally land to her stylist who asks her to calm down.

"It's okay, it's okay... Miss, please calm down... I won't judge, I promise you" The stylist tries to calm her down, holding her shoulders firmly to keep Hitomi from escaping. "Miss Hitomi, it's okay. I'll go fetch a bigger patch, okay?"

Hitomi weakly nods and her stylist disappears for a brief moment, returning soon after with a new, bigger, patch in hand. Carefully, the stylist places the newer one after removing the smaller one, patting it lightly to make sure it will cover the musky-scented mark well. Now that she smelled Hitomi's real scent, she has to admit she's... _attracted_. Not enough to make her lust after the young Omega, but enough to make her realize Hitomi is as dangerous as she told her be.

"I didn't want this, unnie, I didn't want this..." She whispers, referring to the mark.

The stylist looked empathically at her, patting the blonde hair softly before continuing her works on dressing the idol Omega prettily. "I know Miss Hitomi, I know, but it will disappear soon, it will disappear soon." She says in a soothing tone, repeating the words, hoping it will calm the younger Omega.

Maybe it worked, maybe it didn't, but Hitomi smiles at her and she can't help but to melt at the precious smile given to her.

She just hoped the young Omega have someone on her back.

* * *

Nako wakes up from her nightmare, her body drenched in sweat as she breathes heavily through her nostrils. Her eyes quickly look around, darting everywhere until she finds the person she's looking for.

Hitomi, one of her roommate for this occasion, and the person she is looking for is still sleeping soundly, her body is squished between Wonyoung and Yujin, the two maknaes having sneaked inside their hotel room because they said they had nightmares and yearned the comfort of Hitomi's soothing scent.

Bullshit, Nako knows they only wanted to cuddle with the Omega. With the absence of Yena on the king-sized bed, she knows that the older Beta is practically switching place with Wonyoung and Yujin, choosing to accompany Yuri rather than sleeping on the extra-bed with her or on the couch (which is too small for her but not for Nako).

The Beta sighs, peeking at the clock on her phone, not quite surprised when it's only a quarter past 2 AM. She feels sleepy, but the nightmare leaves her shaken with adrenaline running and she isn't sure she can go back to sleep until it's morning. It's their last day overseas and they will go back to Korea later at afternoon after they rest for a little bit more and shop for souvenirs (they shopped before, but the Omegas are thirsty for more shopping). Maybe she'll sleep later at the flight.

Nako carefully removes herself from the extra-bed, lightly slapping Yujin's foot away that has the audacity to dangle dangerously close to her chest, and makes a mug of chocolate she sneaked to help her sleep. While in the process of making her drink, she can't help but let her mind drifts to the dream. Or a nightmare. Whichever.

It's too realistic to be a dream, she thinks, way more realistic than their current situation.

After the roommate change few days ago, Nako has to admit she's been watching the blonde Omega a little closer, her instinct telling her that something must have happened between Chaewon and Hitomi, and she was sure it wasn't just a simple big fight.

First of all, Hitomi blatantly refused to stay too close to any other Alphas, but especially Chaewon after their last concert overseas. During their next performances and other appearances sure, Hitomi could still stay beside Chaewon but once the cameras were off? Hitomi traded place with basically everyone else. Also, after the roommate change, Hitomi always slightly lowers her head when talking to others, something she's only done when they are still awkward to each other. Hitomi _never_ really cowers, but Nako saw how Hitomi unconsciously cowers beside Hyewon when Eunbi scolded Yujin in a loud voice when the Potential-Alpha made a mess of the Alpha's bedroom during v-live.

Secondly, Nako notices on how different Chaewon's gestures towards Minjoo and Hitomi after that event. Chaewon looked like she's guilty of something towards Minjoo yet the Omega doesn't seem to care. Then to Hitomi, Nako once caught Chaewon shooting her a disgusted look, all while trying not to look at her eyes.

Up until they saw each other last night, Chaewon still refused to look at Hitomi straight on the eyes. Minjoo too, for a strange reason, would stare at Hitomi with something Nako couldn't put a finger on. It's not necessarily bad, but Nako couldn't help but to feel paranoid.

What if her nightmare was true? She dreamed that onn their last night after concert, Hitomi went into a sudden heat and spent that period with none other than Chaewon. Whether there was a full consent from both parties, she didn't know. She didn't remember too much, but at the very end, before the dream ended and she woke up, Hitomi was found out to be pregnant with Chaewon's child. That would explain why Hitomi is throwing up lately and why she seems so moody and withdrawn. 

But pregnant Omega will literally kill any kind of Alphas around her that isn't the sire of her pup so why isn't she killing Yujin and Wonyoung? And while not as often as before, Hitomi still lets Eunbi and Chaeyeon baby her around.

Nako can feel her head spin and stops the thoughts right there. Too much drama, too little sleep. If this continues until the end of IZ*ONE no wonder she's not growing tall like she's supposed to.

She sips her hot chocolate; her eyes are fixated on the unfamiliar patch covering a familiar place on Hitomi's neck.

_Later, Nako. Hitomi will tell you when it's due. Hot choco is your priority for now._

* * *

Hitomi nearly jumps out of her skin as her sleepy eyes finally noticed the dark figure sitting at the couch facing her, laughing creepily. The dark figure grins, revealing perfect rows of white teeth. It's only after Hitomi's eyes are finally adjusted to the darkness Hitomi finally can identify the unknown being perfectly.

"Nako-chan what the hell!" She hisses, struggling to even breathe with Wonyoung practically back-hugging her a little bit too tight with strength she doesn't know the giant baby possesses. Yujin is no better – her nose is buried in the crook of her neck as her heavy long limbs are crushing her significantly smaller body.

Watching how her fellow midget struggles against the two clingy Potential-Alphas causes Nako to chuckle lightly, throwing her hands up as if to say, "I can't help you, sorry."

After a long struggle, Hitomi finally manages to break free from the two Potential-Alphas, though it results in Wonyoung and Yujin growling at the loss of their human bolster. Hitomi smartly arranges their limbs together, resulting in the two maknaes to hug each other. The frown on their face quickly turns to a content smile as they snuggle each other. Satisfied, Hitomi makes her way to Nako, opting to sit at the extra bed instead of the couch, as Nako's not-quite-long legs are occupying the whole couch rather selfishly. The Omega turns on the night lamp, ignoring the Beta hissing as the soft yellow light pricks her vision.

"You really should turn on the lights when you're awake," Hitomi chides, eyeing the empty mug on the coffee table before landing her gaze to Nako, whom only shrugs her shoulder. "That reminds me. It's still 5 AM."

The Beta raises an eyebrow, taunting. "Your point?"

"You're not sleeping, little one," Hitomi replies with a mock frustration without missing a beat, pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose, feigning a headache.

Nako hisses, smacking Hitomi's hand as she puffs out her cheeks, but her lips are curled into that of a small smile. "Nightmares," She says, dropping her smile a little with her eyes continued to bore into Hitomi's skull.

There is something on Nako's eyes that makes Hitomi feel uneasy for some reason. Her answer was short, but her eyes tell a thousand words. From her eyes, Hitomi could tell the nightmare wasn't something coming from horror stories. No ghost or serial killer, just something that hit close to home.

Hitomi softens her gaze. "Is it that bad?"

"I just don't want it to happen," Nako replies, just as softly. "It's about you, Hii-chan." She continues, eyes looking away momentarily as her fingers are trying to reach Hitomi's fingers. The Omega silently accepts the gesture, feeling a warmth wash over her as Nako plays with her finger, rubbing them gently as if to assure everything is fine.

She feels grateful at the touching gesture. The nightmare Nako experienced makes Hitomi nervous, for some reason. "What is it about?" She curiously asks, softly, coaxing Nako to tell.

She can see Nako hesitates on telling her. Then, she shrugs her shoulder nonchalantly, eyeing Hitomi steadily as she slumps to the couch. "Don't really remember." She says, her volume only a bit above a whisper. "I only know it's a bad dream."

That was a lie, Hitomi knows, and maybe Nako knows that Hitomi knows, too. But Hitomi nods her head anyways, because will it benefit Hitomi in the long run? She thinks not, for it just a dream, her nightmare was probably a manifestation of Nako's concern and fears. Nako is easily the biggest scaredy-cat next after her fellow Beta Choi Yena and Hitomi herself, it doesn't really surprise Hitomi that Nako has a lot of fears. Fears that follows her to her dream, twisting it to nightmares.

But it's just a dream, right? It only happens in her head, not real life.

"Hii?"

This time, it's Hitomi's turn to hum.

"You're not pregnant are you?"

Hitomi doesn't think she can choke on her own saliva but here she is, choking pathetically of nothing but her own saliva.

She can feel her heart stopped for a moment as that one question rolled off Nako's tongue.

"W-what makes you think of that?!" She hisses out, covering her fear with incredulity. "Nako-chan, explain!"

The Beta has the audacity to offer her an innocent look. "I don't know? I mean, you're kind of moody and evil and throwing up lately. Even Hyewon unnie is worried." She reasons, head tilting to the side as she continues to shoot the Omega a nervous look. "You're not... are you?"

Moody and throwing up do make sense. Chaewon bit her and her canines injected something inside her bloodstream though it's not enough to claim-mark her. Nope, not without her consent. The 'infection' side-effect can be various, it's only her luck she's having the same effect as someone pregnant, for quite a long time, too.

But evil? Now that's just stretching it.

She only body-slams Yena once — _once — _yet she's dubbed as Mistress of Evil now? Nako is _biased_.

The Omega clears her throat before answering Nako's question with all seriousness her sleepy brain could muster. "No, Nako-chan, I certainly am not pregnant with anyone's baby." Honestly, she feels relieved she took birth-control pills, but still couldn't believe Chaewon walked in when she's _this_ close on finding her heat suppressant. Though she has to admit on purchasing and using Omega-only pregnancy test packs, however, all of them came out as negative. But she can only breathes a sigh of relief when her next heat came around just few weeks ago.

Nako sighs out of relief. "That's a relief! Well, I've been dreaming of you pregnant, actually, but I don't really know the details of _how and why_. You're just depressed there and I really don't want that to happen," She says softly. She glances to the patch on Hitomi's neck, then returns her gaze to Hitomi's eyes again as she whispers, "You know Hii-chan, you can always talk to me, to _us_ Betas, right?"

Hitomi mirrors the smile, feeling warm at the earnest offer. "I know, Nako-chan, thank you for that." She checks the clock, sighing. "We still have two hours until Eunbi unnie wakes us up. And because I'm feeling a bit... generous, I extend a limited offer of cuddling."

Nako raised an eyebrow. "You? Cuddle someone to sleep? Are you Honda Hitomi?"

Hitomi ignored her. "Do you want to cuddle with me or not?"

The Beta pretends to hesitate, faking a frown as she drawls her words. "I don't know, Tomi, I don't know. I mean, should I? Won't Wonyo and Yujinnie throws Yena unnie to us, knowing you cheated on them with me?" Hitomi feels her insides twist at the mention of 'cheating' but she giggles anyway.

"Hush, the Alphas don't need to know," Hitomi answer with mirth, climbing to the extra bed and lays her head on the pillow, snuggling to the comfort as she mock-glares Nako. "Now come on, dwarf, or I'll tell Hyewon unnie you took her cake last night."

"That's slander, Hii-chan!" Hisses the Beta, slowly climbing to the bed and buries her face on the crook of the Omega's neck, her arms circling the Omega's waist in a tight hug.

Hitomi feels her neck tickles with the Beta, in a muffled voice, says something with her lips lightly brushing her skin. "You really do smell nice, Tomi, I envy you." She says before silence befalls two of them. Nako slowly falls asleep in Hitomi's arms, the gentle stroke on her long hair only makes her sleep more comfortable.

As the breathing of the Beta's steadies, Hitomi smiles faintly, Nako's words ringing in her ears.

_"You really do smell nice, Tomi, I envy you."_

With her fingers tracing the soft outline of the Beta's face, she allows her smile to drop.

_It's not something you should envy, Nako-chan._

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**M**orning rolled in slower than it supposed to be, or it’s only a mere illusion from their subconscious for being too drained off both physically and mentally. Today, they are supposed to fly back to South Korea for good until further notice, having completed their first set of group schedule in Japan for their Japan comeback promotion.

All of them still long for the comfort of their bed, even though they spent their last night in their hotel by fully resting. Hotel beds are good, but nothing can beat drowning in the comfort of your own scent.

So when Eunbi roll-called everyone to check out in the morning, everyone is unexpectedly ready, eager to set their feet on the land of South Korea.

_Home_.

* * *

“See! I told you it’s going to delay!” The duck says, her chest puffing out proudly with her fingers jabbing the words DELAYED next to their flight numbers. Their head manager scowls at the announcement, for the first time cursing his time punctuality.

Behind him, Eunbi is trying to placate Hyewon who is angrily muttering about her delayed nth meal of the day, and the Alpha also sending him annoyed look for angering her Omega. Their head manager cringes, turning to his other supports – the other managers but they are of no help, choosing to mind their own business and pretend as if the bland airport scenery is absolutely a sight to behold.

Sighing to himself, Oh Minjoon, IZ*ONE official head manager, whatever that is, returns Eunbi’s glare with much more vigor. “How would I know we will have a 4-hour delay?” He asks, using his towering height to assert his dominance over this tiny, but intimidating Alpha.

Eunbi's glare only intensifies.

He backtracks immediately. While he's not affected with the much younger woman's scent, Eunbi is a very intimidating woman of her own. “_Fine_, you are free to roam around the airport. I repeat, _around the airport_. Mind your attitude and loudness please – AHN YUJIN-SSI, DROP THAT BAG, THANK YOU – what did I say earlier? Ah, _attitude_. Now shoo! Go! Don't steal hotdogs and watch out for sasaengs okay?”

Despite all tiredness they feel, the girls all chorused a cheerful ‘yes’ without missing a beat. Minjoon, their head manager, sighs again, quickly instructing the bodyguards and personal managers to assist the idols. The Beta male watches in amusement as Hyewon drags Eunbi, with Sakura and Chaeyeon tailing them naturally, while spitting rapid words his brain registered as the name of Japanese foods the oldest Omega wanted to try for breakfast.

Then, his gaze lands to the youngest pair of girls who are bothering the two remaining Omegas, with Yuri and Yena assisting the troublesome maknaes with their endeavor.

Sitting a bit far is Chaewon, who is playing with her phone while Nako is reading a magazine she just recently purchased. Both of them are sitting side by side but they are lost in their own world with no sign they will interact soon.

The manager turns his attention back to the troublesome group and _bullied _Omegas, watching with fondness in his eyes.

It doesn’t miss his attention, how Hitomi has been distancing herself from the girls and only recently she has _very _slowly warming up to her comrades again after weeks of detachment. He can now clearly see Hitomi’s eyes—bright and alive; instead of the brooding gaze she always hides by lowering her head.

Granted, it’s not as bright as it used to be, but it’s an improvement Minjoon is willing to see.

* * *

Yujin and Wonyoung are always restless when it comes to asking attention from their unnies, Hitomi should have always keep that in mind. Because by asking attention, it means they will annoy the older girls with any method they can find. Having Yena on their side only adds to their creativity, although sometimes the Beta’s input is a little unwelcomed.

Right now, Yujin and Wonyoung have made it their task to milk the attention of their dashing Omega unnies: Kim Minjoo and Honda Hitomi.

It was awkward at first, as Hitomi is still cranky with lack of good sleep and Minjoo can be extremely passive when she’s not in the mood but with Yena’s insistent involvement the two immediately plays along and actually having fun themselves.

Currently, because Minjoo lost the rock-paper-scissor game against Hitomi, the older Omega becomes the main subject of Yujin and Wonyoung’s teasing, with sometimes Yena pointing out some facts and slipping her humor that renders them breathless from laughing too much. Yuri’s quick-witted snappy self and slight bias towards Hitomi only adds to Minjoo’s misery, but invites more laughter from the others.

It’s the closest Hitomi has ever been with them after that incident. It’s the first time for her to feel this… _free_, being able to sit close and talk comfortably with her comrades with Alpha and Omega rank.

The excitement died down as they are starting to feel tired, the exhaustion from yesterday and many days prior catching up.

It’s only then Hitomi realized she has been sitting too close to Minjoo and flinched away when the older Omega settles her elbow to her shoulder when she wanted to strike up a conversation.

Minjoo turns to Hitomi, hurt flashing on her eyes. “Hitomi? Is there something wrong?”

Hitomi hesitates to answer. She darts her gaze around instead, careful to not make any eye contact with anyone including the group of managers sitting around them. “Nothing is wrong,” she answers haltingly, shaking her head as she leans back. She sighs. “I’m just a little jumpy lately.”

Minjoo nods her head, agreeing. “I notice that. Do you want to tell me why?”

“No,” Hitomi immediately answers with zero hesitation. She feels guilty seeing that hurt on Minjoo’s eyes, but it’s best if Minjoo doesn’t know _for now_. “Maybe… next time… in a more private setting?”

Minjoo readily agrees, beaming a smile.

Her smile is quick to falter when she turns her gaze elsewhere… a little left of Hitomi. “Do you need something, Chaewon unnie?”

Hitomi freezes.

It’s almost like she’s been petrified when her nose finally caught the dreaded familiar scent she used to love, but now fear.

Hitomi’s breath becomes erratic as she turns, almost robotically, to face Chaewon who is standing in front of her and tries desperately to control the fear creeping down her conscience.

She can’t show it. She can’t show her weakness.

Chaewon narrows her gaze. Her expression is neutral, but her scent is bitter and thick. On closer inspection she looks like she is a bit shaking. It piqued the Betas’ interest, and now they have their conversation in abrupt stop to focus on their exchange.

“I need to talk to Hitomi,” Chaewon says, turning her attention to the lightly shaking Omega. “_Privately_,” she stressed out, growling.

When Hitomi doesn’t move, Chaewon clicks her tongue and grabs her hand roughly, pulling the small Omega to her feet in instant. “_Privately_,” She repeats, snarling at Minjoo and the three Betas who are on their feet in instant as instinct to protect the Omega is triggered.

* * *

From the managers’ seat, Minjoon watches the exchange curiously. He’s not the only one to do that.

“No,” he hisses, when one of the female manager rises up to her feet. “Let them solve their own problem.”

A shame those two troublesome youngest of the group are away to buy some snack. It will be an interesting confrontation.

He takes his phone out and starts typing something.

* * *

Minjoo returns the glare, although it doesn’t look as severe as the Alpha. “You could have asked her nicely,” she snidely comments, frowning with disapproval. She reaches her hand to pull Hitomi back to sit with her, but Chaewon growls at her, baring her fangs.

“Don’t touch her,” the Alpha growls, tightening her hold even more.

Hitomi whimpers in pain, trying hard to control her mind to not shut down the moment her mind played back to _that_ night. “W-We don’t have anything to talk about, unnie,” Hitomi managed to say, hissing as she struggled to let go, even though it’s useless of her to do so.

Chaewon snarled at her. “We do,” she growls out, sounding extremely angry.

“You’re hurting her, unnie!” Nako yells out in horror. She moves to grab Chaewon’s shoulder but she’s easily shrugged off and dragged Hitomi to follow her. “The fuck? Unnie!” Nako attempts to chase the rapidly walking Alpha, but Minjoo holds her before she can do so.

Nako is strong, she can easily break out from Minjoo’s grasp but when faced against Yena and Yuri?

“Yah! What’s wrong with three of you?!” Nako barked out her question, angrily trying to shrug off Yuri’s firm hold around her neck.

Yuri grimaces. Her hold is still tight. “Chaewon unnie’s scent… you can literally die!”

The other member of Jo Yuriz nods her head. “Chaewon is in her rut, Nako. Just leave them be, it should be fine.”

After seeing that how scared shitless Hitomi was and how hurt the Omega was? Oh, it’s far from _fine_, Nako is sure. She’s willing to bet her life on it.

She growled at them before pushing Yuri away from her. “What kind of Omega protectors are you?” She hisses out as Yuri stumbles down to the floor. She slaps Yena’s hand away before running to the direction where Chaewon and Hitomi went off to.

Yujin and Wonyoung, along the rest of the older half of IZ*ONE, arrived soon after and they all share bewildered glances when they found Yena, Yuri, and Minjoo standing rooted on their spot with a strange expression on their face.

Neither of them wanted to talk about it.

* * *

After what it feels like eternity, Chaewon finally stopped after making a sharp turn to a secluded restroom.

She only needs a sniff to know nobody is around and drags Hitomi inside, ignoring the constant pained whimpering escaping the Omega’s lips.

“Unnie…” Hitomi weakly tries to communicate, but was harshly cut off as Chaewon pushes her—_slamming_ her body to the door. Hitomi is quick to release a groan as her head hits the door, her mind a bit dizzy as her head reels at the impact.

And almost immediately, Chaewon traps her against the door, pressing her whole weight to Hitomi.

Hitomi’s whole body shakes; fear overtaking her as her head stopped reeling.

“Un-Unnie –“ She whimpers, trying to lower her gaze but the Alpha forces her chin up so they meet each other eyes. Hitomi feels sheer terror as her eyes meet Chaewon’s – her eyes show nothing but fury she has never seen before. Hitomi wants to cry, but she knows crying now won’t solve anything.

The Alpha bangs the wall with her balled-up fist, startling and scaring Hitomi to her wit's end. Hitomi tries to break free, she really does, but her strength is simply no match for an angered Alpha. Her trembling arms are getting tired from trying to push Chaewon’s shoulders, yet the older girl doesn’t seem to want to further their distance.

Hitomi attempts to ask again, but Chaewon suddenly closes their distance, the older’s lips just hovering right above her own.

“Chaewon unnie, why are you doing this?” She finally manages to ask; the terror she is feeling only intensifies at the animalistic look on the Alpha’s gaze. She feels her knees giving up, but Chaewon easily hoists her up with one arm.

Chaewon’s lips curls up to form a distasteful sneer. “Just what did you bewitch me with?”

Hitomi frowns, shaking her head. “W-what do you mean?” She questions, confused. The tries to repeat her question, but Chaewon stops her.

Her sharp intake of breath interrupted her, when Chaewon rips the patch covering the mark, the Alpha groaning as she smells her own scent mixing with Hitomi’s. Not too strong, but not too faint either; just enough to create a wave of arousal rippling all over her body. Her hunger for _her_… it only intensifies.

“Mine,” she snarls, lurching forward to clamp her mouth over that particular spot, sinking her teeth deep into the mark. Her thought is filled with nothing but claiming this Omega as her own.

She drives her canines as deep as she possibly can, forcing her body to pump out her poisonous claiming fluid to claim the Omega in her arms.

Hitomi tries to hold in her scream but to no avail, as she found herself ripping her vocal cords with a shrill scream, her hands gripping the Alpha’s shirt tightly, her whole body burns as a foreign liquid is injected to her body through the Alpha’s canines, messing with her bloodstream and scent gland. Her tears are spilling mercilessly from her eyes; the pain is too much for her.

The canines are digging deeper through her flesh until Hitomi can’t really scream anymore. She weakly claws the Alpha’s shoulders, begging her to stop. Claim-marking without the Omega’s consent will only hurt the Omega party, rendering them sick for several weeks until the ‘poison’ is no longer inside their bloodstream. Very unlike the usual claim-marking that only takes several seconds.

Sometimes, the Alpha is relentless and will take whatever it does, one being driving their canines deeper until the mark is deep enough for the Omega to surrender out of pain. And she fears it’s what Chaewon’s intending to do when she refuses to budge. But why? Why would she do this to her? Doesn’t she hate her? Wasn't she angry? It doesn’t make any sense to Hitomi.

Hitomi tries her best on not surrendering, but it’s too much, _too much_. She can only withstand a certain degree of pain, and this is simply too much. It affects too many nerves on her body. Her whole body feels like being pricked with needles and it feels like it's burning all over.

She ultimately surrenders.

And she knows Chaewon can feel it, she knows she can. Because the Alpha immediately pulls away, grinning so triumphantly as she lets Hitomi weakly leans to her, drained of energy.

“Mine,” she declares possessively once again in a hiss, and Hitomi found herself against the wall.

* * *

Chaewon pounds against her, drilling her shaft into her slit repeatedly while her mouth and teeth working diligently on leaving marks along her neck. Especially to the renewed mark under her right ear.

Hitomi is… too tired to fight back, letting the Alpha to do as she pleased.

Instead of fighting back, Hitomi responds to every stroke of Chaewon’s finger against her sensitive skin, every deep thrust Chaewon does with her hips. It's like she is in trance herself - enjoying every moments instead of dreading it. Perhaps due to her under the effect of that renewed claiming mark? Hitomi doesn't know. Everything is so confusing.

It doesn’t take long for Chaewon to reach her climax, throwing her head back as her hips stutters to shoot her loads inside, intent on filling the Omega’s womb with her seeds.

She leans forward as she pulls out, her strong arms keeping Hitomi standing. “You did a good job, Hitoma,” she purred out, kissing Hitomi’s nape deeply, savoring the mixed scent oozing off the Omega’s scent glands.

A refreshing combination of mint and peach.

_Addicting._

“Why… are you doing this to me…?”

Chaewon looks up to meet her gaze with Hitomi, feeling a twinge of guilt at the complete submission on the Omega’s dark eyes.

Instead of answering, Chaewon closes her lips over Hitomi’s, pulling the Omega to a sweet kiss she never expected will receive. A kiss that doesn’t answer anything.

“Does it answer your question?” Hitomi only blinks blankly at her, making Chaewon chuckle. “Let’s get you cleaned up,” Chaewon whispers to her ears, her voice as sweet as a honey and her touches gentle as she cleaned up the mess she did to Hitomi.

Hitomi idly watches Chaewon roams her hands around her, making sure Hitomi is all cleaned up before she left her alone, after Hitomi shakes her head at Chaewon’s invitation to return to the longue with her.

As she sits alone in the restroom, Hitomi ponders the motive behind Chaewon’s confusing action.

_What exactly had happened?_

Then, few minutes later, Nako unceremoniously arrives, looking as if she’s been through hell and back with tussled hair and wrinkled clothes, asking the same question but with more loudness and emotion in it.

* * *

“Nako—“

Nako holds her palm up immediately, letting the disinfectants and foundation on her hand to drop to the sink. “Stop.” She firmly says, shuddering out an angry breath. “Let me get this straight,” Nako heaves a deep breath as she puts a new Scent-patch over Hitomi’s renewed mark, deliberately pressing it a little bit harder until Hitomi screams.

“Chaewon did _that _to you, marked you against your will, then now she forced a claim-mark to you? Did _that _again, and for some reason she’s awfully _chill _about it?” At Hitomi’s slightest, pained nod, Nako turns, her body retreating from the sink as she hisses her declaration of war, “I’m going to _kill _her.”

Hitomi is quick on grabbing the Beta from getting away. “WAIT – No, _no_, Nako-chan I won’t allow you to commit murder this early on life – or _ever_. Besides,” Hitomi looks away, her hold tightens with Nako turning her attention back to her again.

She quickly averts her gaze from Nako’s pained look. A silent plea for Hitomi to _listen _to her—to stop whatever she is going to say next.

Hitomi chooses to ignore it. A Beta like Nako must know. She bites her lips, her eyes downcast. “I _asked_ for it, anyway. Back then. If I were a normal Omega I wouldn’t tempt Chaewon unnie _that _bad until she lost control. I – I deserved it, you know? It’s _my_ fault – there’s no smoke without fire, Nako-chan. It’s all me, not her.”

“Of course the fuck not,” Nako hisses, spitting vulgarly with anger boiling. The Beta cups her cheeks, caressing them with much care as her voice drops in a whisper, “You’re not at fault here, Hii-chan. Really, you’re not! If anything it’s Chaewon’s fault. Not yours, not your nice scent, not your body, but hers. No –_shut it_, no protests!_ –_ if she’s really the great Pure Alpha, she could have control her urges better.” She finishes, kissing the tip of Omega’s nose. Nako found the flushing cheeks of Hitomi are adorable as she giggles and envelopes the younger to a hug. “I admit your heat pheromone is scary, but that doesn’t mean she can pin all the blame to you. And did _that _to you _twice_.”

“She was in a rut just now, Nako-chan,” Hitomi softly reminded. “I’m an Omega and I should have helped her get through her rut.”

“She should have asked for your consent first,” Nako bites back harshly, “Or do that shit with Minjoo, damn it. She’s not her girlfriend for nothing! Now come on, Yujin and Wonyoung are losing their mind without you next to them.”

Hitomi nods her head, allowing a small smile to grace her lips as Nako pulls her wrist gently, tugging it to follow her. It’s nothing like how Chaewon pulled her earlier. She’s careful and fully concerned of her well-being, opting to match her rather quick pace to Hitomi so she won’t go dragging Hitomi forcefully with her.

Sometimes Hitomi wistfully thinks,

_Why didn’t she fall for someone as sweet as Nako?_

* * *

Minjoo is smiling when Chaewon returns alone, with no Hitomi nor Nako with her.

The Alpha has a scowl on her expression and it only deepens when she sees Minjoo is smiling at her.

“Is it enough to prove my point?” The smiling Omega inquires, tilting her head a little innocently as if to tease her further.

“No,” Chaewon stubbornly insisted. If it’s possible, her scowl deepens even more. “_No_. It’s still you.”

But _yet_, there is something about holding Hitomi that feels... different_. _There is a certain unfamiliar feeling whenever she holds the youngest Omega close to her. She doesn't know what it is, but she knows she yearns for it every time her gaze lands to Hitomi. A strange feeling that always demands her to be with the said Omega.

Which is confusing, considering that the feelings start even before she knows Hitomi well, and it never really stops until now. Even until she has made up her mind to make Minjoo as her future mate.

“You spent your rut with her, unnie.” Minjoo tuts, sitting back on her original spot and not at all surprised when Chaewon chooses to sit beside her. “It’s already enough to prove you don’t think… _much _of me.”

“I do it out of necessity,” Chaewon answers in a low voice, careful for the maknaes sitting behind her to not hear. “I only want to mate with you, Minjoo-ya.”

Minjoo shrugs, choosing to drop the matter.

Chaewon always lies without herself knowing it.

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**H**itomi decides that today is certainly not her day. She dares to call it the worst of the worst days she has experienced. Because not only she was force claim-marked by Chaewon earlier that day and had to tend to the same Alpha’s rut, Hitomi is also going to sit squished between two Alphas.

Between the same Pure Alpha, and a very shady man that oozed nothing but foul body odor, despite his sleek appearance. Judging from his expression alone, Hitomi can tell the man is having a field day sitting next to an Omega like her, even though Hitomi is sure the man can smell the distinct scent imprint and the lingering scent of sex.

She would be lying if she's not scared of her current situation. She is trapped between Alphas, after all. Her Omega instinct kicks in as she let out a small whimper, letting a bit of her scent-blocked pheromones out as she unconsciously grips the hem of Chaewon’s sleeve.

“Hitoma?”

Hitomi stiffens, not used to the gentleness on the Alpha’s light voice.

Yet strangely, she doesn’t react strongly when Chaewon leans her head to the side, inching closer to her. No sudden recall of events that caught her off guard and make her a broken, whimpering mess when Chaewon’s sharp post-rut pheromones invaded her senses.

If it’s the effect of the blasted claim mark, then fuck you, pardon her words—although she’s supposed it’s a little better to not continue living in fear.

It’s confusing.

She actually… feels better? Not quite, but she feels a bit at ease. Weary, still; but she can’t help but feel protected.

“I’m a little sleepy,” she quietly whispers, still refusing eye-contact despite the Alpha dipping her head lower, attempting to make eye contact with the Omega. Chaewon nods, a little disappointed Hitomi is still refusing eye contact, but tones down her wrathful scent, changing it to a soothing scent Hitomi is very familiar to.

Hitomi smiles, her fingers lightly brushed Chaewon’s own to thank her. She lets out a very small and hesitant thank you that melts the Alpha’s heart without her knowing it.

Chaewon smiles, but that smile doesn’t last long with Eunbi shooting her a knowing look. The younger Alpha scowls at her, but it only makes Eunbi’s grin splits even wider. The leader gives her an ‘ok’ sign and turns her attention back to flight attendants demonstrating emergency procedures.

* * *

Sleep doesn’t come easy when you are uncomfortable, and it certainly doesn’t last long either.

Hitomi is awakened by something tickling the inner side of her thigh. It doesn’t take a genius to know that there’s a _hand_ just placed slightly below her panties and that hand certainly doesn’t belong to Chaewon nor herself. Both of her hands are placed above the blanket that has been covering her legs and Chaewon’s hands aren’t _this_ rough and big.

The Omega is annoyed, but she can’t help but feel afraid too. Not when she noticed the Alpha female beside her is asleep with her head leaning on her own. The man is being very nonchalant enjoying the warmth Hitomi’s legs provided his hand with. He has the audacity to maintain his poker-face as he circles his hand lecherously, basking in the soft skin of Hitomi’s thighs.

The blonde angrily grabs the man’s hand as it travels higher until it nearly reaches her womanhood. Hitomi hisses some words of warning as they make eye contact. The man only smirks, his strength easily overpowers her as he cups the mound with his hand, rubbing his rough fingers perversely to the Omega’s clothed womanhood. Hitomi really wants to cry – it feels worse than having Chaewon doing _that_ to her.

“Don’t fight your instinct, Omega,” He whispers to her ear, pressing his lips firmly to the back of Hitomi’s ear. When the only response Hitomi does is a weak shake of her head and a quiet no, his fingers dig deeper until Hitomi has to bite her lips to prevent herself from releasing a sound. It proves to be futile as his fingers curled sharply, poking and pinching her sensitive clit. “You enjoy it, don’t you little slut?” He chuckles lowly, enjoying the sight of the squirming Omega. He knows well this Omega is taken with that kind of scent clinging to her, but it what makes it so exciting.

Hitomi desperately flails her free hand to Chaewon’s lap, digging her nails to Chaewon’s knees to wake her up. She doesn't expect much, as she is aware that the Pure Alpha isn't good at waking up.

But the unexpected thing happened.

Chaewon’s eyes snapped open immediately the moment Hitomi releases a small, scared whimper, and the Alpha's throat released a feral growl as she desperately unbuckled the safety belt and pounced on the man, pinning him to the window after yanking his hands off Hitomi.

The Alpha man attempts to mock her but cowers as Chaewon’s eyes flash red, burning with the desire to _kill_ him. Chaewon’s fingers claw his collar, choking him as she pulls the fabric until its tight around his neck. She wants nothing but to eliminate whoever dared to even touch _her _Omega.

“Don’t fucking touch my Omega,” she growls, repeating the phrase repeatedly while pounding his head against the window while choking him. “Don’t. Fucking. Touch. Her!”

Flight attendants immediately arrive as Hitomi presses the service button with the very little space she has. After a long struggle that takes on a good chunk of time, the flight attendants finally succeeded in separating the two Alphas and escorts the Omega to sit at the empty spot between Eunbi and Yena as they try to solve the issue.

“He’s bothering Hitomi! That man touched my m—_my friend _inappropriately!”

“I did no such thing,” the man defends himself coolly, sneering while he rubs his sore neck. He turns to Hitomi, giving the Omega a Look that demands her to bend to his wishes. “You can ask her. I’m not touching her.”

But little does he know, with the claiming mark fresh on her skin, any Alpha other than the one who marked her won’t affect her.

The flight attendants turn to her, and Hitomi heaves a deep breath. “He touched me,” she says, ignoring how the protective unnies around her rises to their feet in an instant. Her eyes are stone cold as she returns the furious look the Alpha man is giving her. “He touched me inappropriately and says degrading and insulting words.”

Chaewon and Eunbi immediately lunged forward, on the brink of entering rage-rut but the flight attendants and other passengers hold them back. Nevertheless, they keep their murderous gaze as the man is escorted away.

Flight attendants apologized for the inconvenience and promised to compensate for the unpleasant experience as best as they can. She tells Hitomi that she can return to her seat beside Chaewon if she wanted to while she (the flight attendant) and the team will prepare something to compensate.

Hitomi is about to move back to her seat, but then Wonyoung and Yujin popped out from nowhere and demanded the flight attendants allow them to sit there. The flight attendants can’t do anything but to agree, making Chaewon to scowl and Eunbi to laugh.

Yena leans, her lips are pulled into a smirk watching the Annyeongz Duo making fun of the older Alpha who is clearly bummed with no Hitomi beside her. She bumps her elbow to Hitomi, catching the Omega’s attention in instant.

“Are you okay?”

Hitomi only cocks an eyebrow up, as if daring the Halfling Beta to make a joke.

But the Beta only shoots her an unamused look that makes the Omega a little taken aback. Never has she seen this amount of calm fury, concern, and seriousness all swirling into one in the older girl’s eyes. The playful and positive light on her eyes is replaced by emotions that are so foreign for Hitomi to see in her eyes.

“No, I’m not,” The Omega concedes, looking away from Yena’s concerned eyes, then to her fingers; idly playing them with the hem of her skirt. She’s learned her lesson not to wear skirts too often, especially when traveling in public transportation. “By my standards, I’m not okay,” Hitomi continues, coolly turning away to briefly checks whether Eunbi is eavesdropping or not. Noticing that her act is caught, the Head Alpha shrugs, silently telling Hitomi she’s listening but it’s a conversation between her and Hitomi so she will respect that.

The Omega inclines her head, thankful as she turns to look into Yena’s eyes again.

Yena snorts, her back straightened. “Of course you’re not okay. Even it’s by my standards I’m pretty sure you’re not okay.” The small frown on the duck’s lips slowly curls to a gentle smile. “But it’s okay not to be okay, Hitomi-ah. We’re here for you! Beta Knight Squad protects their princess from the dragons! You can tell us your worries then I’ll make sure that person to disappear forever.”

“But if that person is Eunbi unnie?”

Eunbi turns, raising an eyebrow at the mention of her name.

Yena visibly gulps, chuckling nervously as Eunbi continues to give them both an accusatory look. “Ahahaha, that’s an exception. Puny knight such as Yena the Duck is no match as Great O’ Dragon Lord Kwon.”

Hitomi giggles and that makes Yena smile. Eunbi smiles fondly at the two’s interaction, then continues focusing her attention on the magazine the flight provided them with. However, her hand is still grasping Hitomi’s left hand, rubbing it occasionally. The Omega knows the Head Alpha wants to butt in into the conversation, screaming her support like she always does, but it’s a rare moment for her to have Yena this serious and showing the instinct of a protective mama bear.

Eunbi might be the leader, the official protector of the eleven of them. But if it's about the Omegas' well-being (especially the unmated ones), she is forced to step-down and give that main protecting duty to Yena, her reliable second-in-command, as she is the oldest of the three Betas.

Alphas might be the perfect match for Omegas, but Betas have been Omegas' natural protectors since forever.

“But seriously, Hitomi. We’re here for you. We all got your back, Bbangtomi.”

“You know, Nako-chan told me that early in the morning,” Hitomi softly says, smiling. “If Yuri somehow says the exact same sentences later today, I’m really going to hire you as my personal knights in shining armors.”

“Shining armor is stretching it. Shining stage outfit is more my style,” Yena grins. “Will we get paid?”

“Isn’t the satisfaction of serving a princess is enough?”

A dramatic gasp coming from the duck is enough to make Hitomi smile breaks into small giggles.

“Woman!” The Beta exclaims with shaking pupils, “How does one fill their stomach with satisfaction alone?!”

* * *

Weeks have passed since then, but the incidents aren’t left forgotten so easily. The Betas have gotten even more protective around Hitomi and a little more hostile against Alphas who aren’t familiar to them.

Near the end of the year, Chaeyeon finds the occupants of the other dorm standing in front of the door. She narrows her eyes at the sheepish look the 2nd dorm occupants are giving her, her tired eyes move quickly around to scan their attire.

“Another incident?”

“_Big_ incident,” Chaewon moans, exasperated as she wiggles her feet, still a bit cold from the flood happening in their dorm. “Pipe leak that caused a flood. Long story short, Minjoon Oppa tells us to evacuate for the time being,” She reasons, her feet are naturally walking toward the direction of the large bedroom.

The Sub-Alpha swiftly blocks her way and at the same time, Nako emerges from the large bedroom looking sleepy. She shoots the group a confused look before continues her adventure on looking for a glass of water. Eunbi, ever the mom-like Alpha, immediately assists her favorite baby.

“You stinky Alphas are going to sleep outside,” Chaeyeon says as she gestures the others to come inside. They quickly walked to the couch. “If you three can keep your hands to yourself, then it’s fine.” She mutters, pointing to the small bedroom while looking at Hyewon, Minjoo, and Yena.

“Why?” Yena loudly questions.

Chaeyeon sighs. “Hitomi is in her start of heat period.” She hopes that alone will enough to deter all of them from sleeping in the same room with the youngest Omega. They certainly don’t want to repeat history, after all. “She’s always a handful during her heat but this is over the top handful.”

But to her surprise, Chaewon moves forward. Almost naturally, she glowers as she pushes the other Alpha back. “I’m going inside,” she says determinedly, ignoring the confused look everyone is giving her.

But Nako immediately jumps into action, blocking the Pure Alpha’s way.

“Move,” Chaewon demands. Nako doesn’t move from her spot, even do so much as pushing Chaewon back to the couch.

“No offense, but you’re – _you’re _an Alpha,” Nako interjects, pushing Chaewon to sit at the couch again. The Beta's eyes are sleepy, but they all can see the dangerous fire on her eyes. “If a Potential-Alpha like Wonyoung doesn’t even dare to even get close to her room, why would _you_?”

“I’m going to help her heat,” the Pure Alpha growls again, “She’s my Hitoma—“

The anger on Nako’s eyes changes, to that of cruelty. “She’s _what_?” A smirk. “_Your _Hitoma? She’s not yours, right, unnie? I mean, aren’t you dating Minjoo?”

Nako darts her gaze to Minjoo, who turns away immediately at the scathing look the Beta is sending her.

“We _were_,” Minjoo feels the need to supply, but no one but Hyewon hears her. She gives Minjoo a gentle squeeze on her shoulder.

Chaewon hesitates, then sighs as she steps back. Everyone can tell she’s agitated but forces the beast to submit for now. “You’re right,” she bites out, growling. “Hitomi isn’t _mine_ and I don’t care if she’s in pain. Because she’s not mine.”

The oldest Omega has to frown at that. “That’s not very nice,” She quietly says and the others nod their head at that. Even Eunbi is shaking her head in disapproval but keeps her silence because she knows Chaewon is saying it out of spite.

The Pure Beta smirks. “That’s what I thought,” Nako mutters, triumphant as she retreats to her room.

Chaeyeon notices that all of them are shooting the only Pure Alpha a confused look. All except Minjoo, who has her eyes fixated on the closed door of Hitomi and Yuri’s bedroom.

“Alright,” She sighs. “Yujin and Yena, you can sleep in the big room. Eunbi unnie and Chaewon, I’m sorry but you two have to sleep here at the living room with me and Kkura," Chaeyeon briefly glances at the sleeping figure of the cherry blossom, comfortably snuggling the soft futon. “Or you can take the storage room? Just to make sure you won’t get tempted on breaking Hitomi’s door?”

Chaewon opens her mouth to answer but Eunbi has already dragged her away.

"Minjoo and Kwangbae… er, I suppose at least you can handle Hitomi’s scent?” Then hesitantly, she adds, “…and help her?”

The oldest Omega immediately shakes her head. “I’ll pass,” Hyewon mutters and looks at Minjoo, nudging the younger with her elbow. “Minjoo, you’re a Pure Omega, you should be fine.”

Minjoo shakes her head, her feet already moving towards the room. “I don’t think I’m ready to… er, help her. But I’ll try. How long has this been going?”

Chaeyeon frowns. They are right in front of the door and while the door is thickly coated in Scent Blockers, she can feel she is getting affected. “Only two or three hours ago. And, I think this heat is bad news. She refused any sort of Suppressants and I—we can’t coax her to consume any painkillers.” The Sub-Alpha opens her mouth to add something, but she promptly shuts it again.

“Why is that so?” Minjoo asks, eyeing the closed wooden door with a horrified expression.

The look Chaeyeon gives her is a bit severe. She grasps the handle firmly as she whispers out, “You’ll find out later. But please, don’t talk about it.”

The moment the door cracks open, highly alluring sweet scent immediately wafted out, knocking Chaeyeon and Minjoo out of their breath. They can hear Hyewon and sleeping Sakura getting slowly affected by the dangerously delectable scent, trying very hard to resist. Chaeyeon is struggling to compose herself while Minjoo has succumbed to her instinct to follow the source of the enthralling scent. She doesn’t even hear Chaeyeon closing the door with a loud slam.

The Pure Omega pads around the bunk bed, her eyes never leaving the curling figure on the lower bunk, smelling of vanilla and peach. She can clearly hear the pained whimpers and embarrassed low moans Hitomi produces, and she has to shake off the morbid thoughts of wanting to hear it more.

Minjoo climbs to the bed, stopping when she’s hovering on top of the Omega in heat.

“I’m here to help you,” Minjoo explains when Hitomi’s eyes flutter open, brown orbs looking up questionably to her. “I’m here to help your heat.”

“It’s—no use,” Hitomi breathlessly responds, wincing as Minjoo’s hand started to caress her burning skin. Her breath hitching as Minjoo dips down to kiss her cheek, then trails her lips down to Hitomi’s neck, then collarbone. “I’ll need—Alpha…Minjoo…It’s useless…”

“I can help you,” Minjoo stubbornly insists, biting down at the skin glistening with sweat. Her hands trail along Hitomi’s torso, giving her petite body gentle caresses until they rest themselves on her hips, ready to move inside the joining between legs. “Give yourself to me just this moment, Hitomi.”

Hitomi sobs as shakes her head no, but she draws Minjoo closer to her, looping her arms around the older Omega’s neck. “Please… _Please_…” she begs, repeating her pleas desperately.

Minjoo nods, swiftly removing her drenched pants to give what this hurting Omega something she is yearning for.

Release.

Her hand is trembling when it crawls between her legs, the inexperienced fingers roaming tentatively on the searing heat until they reach her drenched opening. Hitomi bucks her hips at the touch, releasing a small whimper as she does so, causing the hesitant fingers to dig inside in one swift motion.

The younger Omega releases a desperate cry, throwing her head back in pleasure as Minjoo gradually pumps her fingers rapidly in and out, driven by her own lust rather than her determination to help. She continues to do so while her lips roam around Hitomi’s neck, kissing and sucking the fair skin, not at all gentle with her actions.

At some point, her teeth land to a particular place that makes Hitomi screams as if she’s in great pain. Minjoo immediately pulls away when she does so, horrified when she finds a teeth-shaped mark engraved just below the other Omega’s right ear.

She contemplates stopping what she is doing but Hitomi, very desperately, draws her in again, pulling her closer until she drowns in her scent again.

After long minutes, Hitomi shudders out her release, groaning as she clings tighter to the older Omega.

There’s disappointment resurfacing on the back of Minjoo’s mind when her head is cleared up for a moment when Hitomi’s pheromones seem to dissipate for a while.

“I’m sorry,” Minjoo tells her, shameful as she looks down at Hitomi’s “Did I…make it better?”

The response is immediate. Minjoo finds herself getting choked up again as Hitomi’s grips her tighter. Tears are still flowing freely down her cheeks, and Minjoo feels her heart breaks if it isn’t because of lust that returned in full force, the moment that irresistible pheromones burst around the room once more.

“It’s—“ Hitomi swallows, grimacing, “even worse. Minjoo, it’s useless… please let me be…”

“Is it because of that mark?”

Whether or not the action is deliberate, the question is left unanswered with Minjoo surging forward to claim her lips. Hitomi struggles to push her away, but eventually succumbs to her touches, laying rigid as Minjoo’s palm pressed against her swollen clit, fingers dipping into the drenched, throbbing walls.

The mark. The _Mark_. A claiming mark by an Alpha. Only one, so it means Hitomi is only claimed temporarily, at least until the same Alpha adds another on the other side of her neck, and the final one on her nape.

It’s not hard to figure it out, Minjoo muses as she watches Hitomi unravels beneath her. She figures it’s Chaewon’s mark, left perhaps during her last rut around a month ago.

Her heart ached a little. She knows about the thing going on between Chaewon and Hitomi, how Chaewon Imprinted Hitomi when they were roomed together for the first time ever. She can smell Hitomi’s scent clinging on Chaewon and Chaewon’s on Hitomi, and even though they shared a room, scent imprints can only exist if they shared intimacy.

She confronted Chaewon about it, of course, and the Alpha was upset. She told her she was drunk (the older lines _did _party for a while back then, but Chaewon isn’t a drinker) and Imprinted Hitomi because of that. She didn’t do anything but Imprinting, she swore on it.

Minjoo believed her, of course. She can’t blame anyone although she was a bit upset back then because Chaewon was moody and Hitomi blatantly pulled herself away from everyone. Perhaps due to the fear of getting judged. She remembered Hyewon pulled away from everyone, too, when she was first imprinted by Eunbi.

Until Chaewon refused to service her on her heat. Claiming that she isn’t ready even though she has promised to take care of her on her next heat.

Minjoo knew immediately since then, that whether Chaewon realized it or not, the Alpha had Imprinted Hitomi _not _against her own will. Deep inside, the Alpha wanted to make Hitomi as her mate and when the opportunity arises, her subconscious-self executed that hidden desire.

She wasn’t surprised either when Chaewon refused her offer to help her rut, even being so brazen by saying that she would ask Hitomi’s _help_ instead, seeing that she had Imprinted her and it was only right for her to make use of it.

Minjoo slapped her and they broke up that night.

The rest was… history, and Minjoo was right.

Chaewon claim-marked Hitomi.

And still, _still,_ had the audacity to say she wanted to only mate with Minjoo.

Minjoo lowered her body again, leaning her head down to Hitomi’s neck to pepper kisses all over the mark. She can feel the mark pulsed and heating up against her lips every time Hitomi comes all over her.


	5. Chapter 5

**H**itomi sobs against Minjoo, her whole body is exhausted and trembling. She has reached her orgasm for several times already, but the pain only subsided so little. She has heard other Omega can alleviate heat pain with their pheromones alone, with Pure Omega’s pheromones being the most potent temporary alternative.

But Minjoo strangely _can’t_. Her pheromones alone can’t do it—not when her own overpowers hers, and her touches only alleviate so little.

Hitomi knows she just need _her_ Alpha. The Alpha that she _loves_. Even though it’s same Alpha that forcefully claim-marked her. Even though she hates to admit it, only Chaewon can bring an end to her heat. But she continuously denies it, stubbornly clinging to that last thread of hope her heat can be stopped without this Alpha.

Hitomi can see Minjoo is getting tired as well, but her lust is still evident on her eyes and it’s what keeping her going for several hours already.

“No…?”

The pained Omega shakes her head tiredly, melting into incoherent mess as Minjoo pushes in again, locking their lips once more in heated, sloppy kiss.

Hitomi actually passes out from either exhaustion or pain, or both of them. And it’s a miracle for Minjoo to not passes out as well when Hitomi’s pheromones declined drastically.

Her lips feel numb and her arms feel like they are going to pop off any moment as she drags her body outside the room, eager to find something to quench her thirst with. Maybe a cold water will do the trick? She knows Hitomi will appreciate a healthy dose of water waking up. She looks around the dark room, sighing when she notices there is nothing but empty bottles scattered on the floor. Hitomi drinks a lot of water in between sessions.

Minjoo carefully pads towards the kitchen after making sure Hitomi’s pheromones won’t leak all over the living room. She’s not sure if the thick blanket can hold her scent at bay but it’s worth a shot.

“Rough night?”

The sudden voice that breaks the eerie silence caused Minjoo to nearly drop her glass, almost making a mess so early in the morning.

“Unnie!” She hisses out as she turns, rubbing her chest as an attempt to calm her rapid beating heart. “Don’t scare me like that!”

Chaeyeon chuckled; Minjoo’s glare doesn’t look threatening – not with that wild bed hair and adorable pout. The Pure Omega looks exhausted and Chaeyeon makes sure not to forget on pointing out that fact.

“How’s Hitomi?” The Sub-Alpha asks, carefully rousing herself to sit properly. “Has it stopped?”

“Passed out,” answers Minjoo immediately, flinching at the hoarseness of her voice. She greedily downs her drink, finishing the small amount of water in one, mighty gulp. “I don’t think her heat will stop any time soon. I did… er, everything I could do but it looks like her body is rejecting my pheromones or something.”

Chaeyeon has to frown at that. But the frown is quickly replaced by a teasing smile. “Rejecting?” She giggled. “Are you sure it’s not because you’re… well, it’s your first time helping Hitomi, right?”

“Did you see a mark?” Minjoo promptly questions, annoyed at Chaeyeon’s tactless remark. Her voice came out unexpectedly snappy and harsh, making Chaeyeon flinch. “Someone bit her. Claim-marked her. And you know _well _that’s preventing me from helping her.”

“I—“ Chaeyeon swallows, turning her gaze away at the hard look Minjoo is giving her. She knows it, of course. Hitomi screamed at her (and everyone else) to get lost after ripping the familiar scent patch under her right ear. She claimed she’s been, well, _claimed_, and any help from anyone but the Alpha that claimed her will be futile. “I’m aware of that mark,” she answers quietly, darting her gaze to Hyewon that seems to stir in her sleep, “so is everyone else in dorm 1.”

Minjoo’s eyebrows rise to great heights. Well, that is unexpected. “She told you guys?”

“I think she’s not entirely aware of her actions when she told us,” Chaeyeon theorizes, remembering lessons about Human Ethology from two years prior. “I’d say it’s more of her subconscious because I heard it really hurts when another Alpha, beside the Alpha that claim-marked an Omega, bed the claim-marked Omega.”

“So she does it out of instinct?”

Chaeyeon rolled her shoulders, shrugging as she stands up to get a drink for herself. “Possibly. I mean she did refer us with our ranks, not names. We’ve promised to not tell Hitomi anything, though. It’s hard, but we’ll act oblivious for the time being.” The conversation is put on a halt as Chaeyeon goes in search for ice cubes, as the cold water dispenser is empty; while Minjoo is deeply thinking of something.

“By the way, Minjoo-ya.”

“Hmm?”

“Is she… um,” Chaeyeon seems a little embarrassed, pausing on her sentence to finish her drink before placing the cup back to its respective spot. “Is she—well, did she return the favor to you? I mean, I can tell you’re a bit… agitated.”

Minjoo snorted. That glass of water must have wakened Chaeyeon up for the Sub-Alpha to _finally _notice her scent. “Of course _not_. I know I lost myself earlier, but I… didn’t relieve myself. Not really. _Haven’t _is arguably more correct that didn’t, actually.” She tilts her head, narrowing her eyes at Chaeyeon. “Why do you ask?” She queries. Her tone tells that she’s suspicious of the motives behind the Sub-Alpha’s sudden question

Chaeyeon walks closer, not at all hesitant on her steps—making Minjoo take a step backward in instinct. She notices the danger brewing in her bright eyes and her instinct is proved right when Chaeyeon leans her hand on the counter, effectively trapping her.

Chaeyeon looks… _hungry_. No doubt she’s affected from the residue from Hitomi’s scent clinging to her plus the arousal she can still smell on Minjoo. Chaeyeon might be not a full Alpha like Chaewon and Eunbi, but she is gifted with olfactory senses on par with the two Alphas. Very unlike the other Sub-Alpha, that doesn’t look like she can smell anything.

“I was wondering if—“

“No,” Minjoo quickly answers, jerking away from Chaeyeon’s touch.

“No?”

“I just broke up with Chaewon unnie, unnie,” Minjoo explains, swiftly escapes from the trapping hold and hastily walks backwards to Hitomi’s room. She only goes back to the kitchen to secure several bottles of water she nearly forgotten. “I—I need time before I submit to other Alpha.”

It’s not the entire truth. And both of them are aware.

“I… I understand.”

“Thank you,” Minjoo beams her a weak smile. “And unnie, if you don’t mind, can you not wake us up until we’re ready by ourselves?”

Chaeyeon holds herself back from asking ‘why’ and just nods, giving a smile of her own when Minjoo beams another smile at her.

* * *

Minjoo doesn’t forget to lock the door as soon as she within the confines of Hitomi’s room. She breathes in deeply, shuddering when that scent attacks her senses again. She likes it, to be honest, as ‘wrong’ as it sounds. It’s uncommon for an Omega to be immensely attracted to another Omega’s scent, but rather than thinking it of as an oddity, Minjoo thinks of it as a uniqueness that is solely Hitomi’s.

She feels that familiar heat building up within her as she makes her way to the bunk bed, her eyes solely focused on the figure bundled in thick blanket. Hitomi is whimpering on her sleep, her eyes still leaking tears as her hands are curled into fists. She looks even more pathetic than before and that actually worries Minjoo if she wasn’t someone who knows how heats actually work. Just a brief touch and Minjoo just knows Hitomi is on her way to pass her first High Heat phase, shown by the decline of pheromones. She only needs to check her body temperature to confirm, but it’s not entirely necessary to do that.

Minjoo crawls on top of the bed, careful not to wake the light-sleeper Omega up. She settles herself behind Hitomi, her arm supporting her head. With her eyes trained to those damp dark brown locks sticking on the Omega’s neck, her mind starts to wander about the possibilities of the future.

Hitomi is going to have a hard time coping with her heat if Chaewon doesn’t hurry on making any moves to make Hitomi as her real mate. The Omega will be tortured every minutes of her heat until Chaewon mates her and basically releases her from her chains.

Claim-mark is that. Chains. Chains that forcefully binds an Omega to an Alpha. And the same Alpha to the same Omega. Claim-mark is a deep bite on the scent gland on either sides of the neck, left to show that the marked person is off the market. It will all happen naturally for Alpha-Omega couple after Imprinting takes place. On the past, Claim-mark is basically the engagement ring, as it can be left without any sexual intercourse taking place, and the only thing left is to lay the final mark on the nape—the Mating Mark.

If Imprinting is the courting stage, Claim-marking is the engagement stage, then Mating is the marriage. The exchange of vows, as it will require the Omega to leave a Mark on their Alpha’s neck.

Imprinting and Claim-marking aren’t actually as bad as they sound. They are the things that make Alpha and Omega bond special and lasts longer and happier, because they both bound with mutual respect and consent. But on several instances—such as this—, it’s only fair for Minjoo to disagree with the rituals—or _Chaewon’s_ use of the two delicate rituals. Even being such a jerk for Imprinting an Omega when she was still dating Minjoo. She was drunk, but it wasn’t an excuse.

She should have removed the Imprinting by Imprinting Minjoo as soon as possible, but she never did that. Why, Minjoo wasn’t sure.

Minjoo heaves a big sigh as she scoots closer to Hitomi, thirsty for more of the younger Omega’s intoxicating scent. She can’t help but notice more and more of the growing ache between her legs, and the urge to release.

But she was here to help Hitomi. She shouldn’t have expected anything but Hitomi getting better.

Yet part of her is still a selfish Pure Omega, after all.

Minjoo scoots even closer as she drapes one arm over Hitomi’s bundled up figure, pulling herself even impossibly closer until her face is buried between Hitomi’s damp locks. Her mouth naturally finds its way to Hitomi’s nape, teeth readily clamping around the supple texture of the younger Omega’s flesh. Not too hard, just enough for her to feel the flesh between her teeth. She hears Hitomi mewls as she tugs on the damp skin with her teeth, causing heat to pool down her stomach.

Her other hand immediately jerks down, slipping inside her pants, nimble fingers slowly working up to chase much-needed release.

* * *

Just as Minjoo requested, Chaeyeon doesn’t disturb the two Omegas even after breakfast time rolled around. Even doing as much on dragging Yujin away before the puppy-like Potential-Alpha can knock on the door and risk disturbing their rest.

Wonyoung doesn’t attempt on waking the two girls up, but she does ask a barrage of questions as of why Chaeyeon doesn’t allow them to wake the Omegas up. Because usually, Hitomi will still be up early even during her heat. She has to consume some drugs very early in the morning before morning schedules take place, so she can attend them without hitch.

Granted, her scent is still unbearably attractive, but at least it’s dampened enough so that it wouldn’t make everyone immediately jump on her.

“…Hitomi and Minjoo? Where are they?” Chaewon, always one of the last ones to wake up, asks as soon as she scans the big room with her sleepy eyes. She frowns when she doesn’t see the two Omegas. “We have schedules in twenty, right? Why are you guys are still lounging around?”

“Nope,” Eunbi shakes her head. “We only have evaluation later in the afternoon.” She passes an empty bowl to Chaewon, who gladly accepts it. Nothing fancy for breakfast today, only cereals, apples, and eggs if they want to cook some. Like Chaeyeon and Nako are doing.

“Are you sure it’s not too much salt?”

Nako gives Chaeyeon a severe look. “I _can_ cook an egg.”

“Of course,” Chaeyeon readily agrees, “but the salt—“

“My pan, my rules.”

“It’s actually my _kitchen_—“

Chaewon tunes out the conversation to focus on not pouring too much, or too little cereal to her bowl. They don’t have her favorite cereal, and she laments on leaving her cereal stock in amidst of murky water coming out from broken pipe.

“Any news about our dorm?” Chaewon queries Eunbi as she settles to sit on the couch to watch Wonyoung doing her homework that is due tomorrow with Hyewon’s help.

“They are fixing it now,” Eunbi answers after checking her phone. “None of our things are damaged and Jaewon oppa praised us for securing our things off the floor before the water can damage anything.”

“Jaewon oppa?” Chaewon can’t ignore the twisting feeling in her stomach. “Not Minjoon oppa?”

“Jaewon oppa is the one on leading duty today,” the Head Alpha explains immediately. She’s aware of Chaewon’s dislike towards the man, but she never knows what leads Chaewon to hate a harmless man such as Jung Jaewon. Just because he’s always have a poker face on doesn’t mean he’s mean and unfriendly.

She turns back to her phone when Chaewon is no longer having that ugly snarl on her face. “He’s currently supervising the repairmen. And he said we can go back there at noon… 1 PM tops… Oh! Our dance teacher is going to push back our evaluation to tomorrow, so today we're totally free to do anything… but remember to practice, ladies... and finally reminder for Sakura as the radio recording is moved an hour earlier. Ya, Kkura! Did you hear?”

At the mention of her name, Sakura perked up, pausing on her game for a split second before Yena yells at her to focus. “Yeah! Minjoon oppa told me yesterday!”

“But will we be able to have evaluations tomorrow?” Yuri wonders, pouting as she thinks. “Hitomi’s heat usually lasts for three days… we can’t evaluate most songs with a member lacking.”

Yena raises an eyebrow. “Isn’t Minjoo helping her? I mean, she _is_ inside,” she exclaims, pointing at the door, but not even moving her gaze away from her phone. “What else she’s doing _now_ if not catching up some sleep after… you know?”

Thankfully, Eunbi has already covered Wonyoung’s ears and Yujin is away in the kitchen. “Oh my God that is not a discussion you can bring up when there are kids around!”

The oldest Beta shrugs her shoulders, unbothered as she continued her game. “Just sayin’.”

Yuri doesn’t look bothered at the innuendo. In fact, she looks rather worried. “I… don’t think Minjoo’s… er, treatment, can really stop Hitomi’s heat,” at the other dorm occupants’ raised eyebrows, Yuri hurriedly explains before Sakura can give her a warning look, “I—I mean! Hitomi’s heat is always so sporadic and unexpected, isn’t it? Besides, she’s a bit… _sick_… yesterday…”

Chaewon, Eunbi, and Hyewon chorused knowing ‘Ahs’, nodding. Hitomi _did_ look a little unwell during group practice.

“Have she taken meds?” Eunbi asks.

At the same time, Nako walks to the living room, joining the conversation to answer Eunbi’s question. “Before her heat starts? No. After her heat starts? Impossible to say yes,” says Nako with a little sigh. She sits beside Wonyoung on the floor, placing the plate of scrambled eggs safely on top of the table before shooting a dangerous towards Chaewon. “And I wonder if it’s someone’s fault…” she adds, her voice barely a whisper.

Eunbi didn’t catch it, but Chaewon surely did.

The Pure Alpha narrows her eyes, but says nothing.

Wonyoung pouts, tilting her head to the side with her gaze settling on the closed door. Her expression shows that she is very worried. “I hope she gets better soon…”

“She will,” Yujin pipes in. She has just finished her breakfast but she’s here to steal some of Nako’s eggs. The older Potential-Alpha ruffles the youngest’s hair playfully, grinning when Wonyoung shoots her an annoyed look, pouting. “Don’t worry about that much, Wonyoungie! I’m sure tomorrow we can go cuddle with her.” Her grins widen. “And that reminds me, it’s my turn tomorrow.”

“Not fair! I lost my chance to cuddle Hitomi unnie last night!”

Yujin blows a raspberry at her. “Your loss. She’s mine tomorrow.”

Everyone coos at how Wonyoung throws a fit, until Minjoo emerges from the previously locked room, freshly showered. She still looks tired. “Assuming her heat is stopped before tomorrow. Morning, guys.”

“Minjoo unnie!” Yujin immediately jumps to her feet, throwing herself all over the Omega. “Goooddd morniiinggg! You smell nice!”

“I just showered, thank you for noticing.”

“Eh, Yujin can’t relate,” teases Yena, _finally _putting down her phone to eat her already soggy cereals. “How is Hitomi? Getting better?”

Minjoo nods. She doesn’t look bothered with the Potential-Alpha clinging to her, not-so subtly sniffing her hair. “Passed her first High Heat phase just an hour ago, I think? She’s awake now, but can’t really move around.”

“Oh my God.”

Wonyoung shoots Yena an innocent look, confused at the scandalized expression Yena is wearing. She looks even more confused when all of them are glaring at the duck.

“Sorry,” apologizes Yena nonchalantly. Everyone lets it slide. For now.

“What about meds? Have she taken some?”

“Only minor suppressants as soon as she wakes up,” she takes out something from her pocket, giving it to Hyewon. The oldest Omega frowns when she recognized it as their usual brand of Suppressant. Well, _Hyewon’s_; because of her Pure gene, Minjoo can’t take usual Suppressants. It’s not like she really needs it, because it’s not very painful and Blockers always do wonders. “She refused to take Suppressant.”

“Why is that?” Yujin immediately asks her, curious.

“Hitomi actually can’t take this type of Suppressant. And she ran out of stock of her own from her doctor.” Whether or not it’s the truth, none of them knows. But the dorm 1 occupants that have witnessed the mark on the young Omega’s neck, knows that it might be an excuse Minjoo made up. If it’s a lie, she made it believable.

“That’s sad to hear,” mutters Hyewon. “Ah well, that explains why she always returned them to me.”

Minjoo nods. “Anyway, what’s for breakfast?”

* * *

Minjoo excuses herself immediately after cooking decent amount of eggs and prepare sufficient amount of cereals for both of them. She declares she’s going to be Hitomi’s personal servant this morning.

The declaration draws Chaewon’s attention. She can’t ignore the aching feeling that only seems to grow upon knowing Minjoo is together with Hitomi. She almost lashed out last night when Eunbi allows Minjoo is going to help Hitomi through her heat… not… not _her_.

The audacity.

Eunbi sighs beside her, the smile on her lips fond. “I know that Hitomi is everyone’s baby, but every time her heat strikes we seem to be baby her more than these two kids.” Yujin and Wonyoung have different reaction when Eunbi bends down to ruffle their hair. Yujin looks like she’s enjoying it while Wonyoung immediately compains, not liking how the oldest Alpha babies her.

“…Hitomi is mine.”

The declaration, uttered in a low growl, catches everyone’s attention in instant. Except Chaeyeon’s and Yena’s, since the former is showering while the latter is raiding Sakura’s closet.

Nako looks especially annoyed.

“Hitomi is mine,” Chaewon repeats again, narrowing her eyes when Yujin and Wonyoung frown at her. “Not yours.”

“What’s this ’_not_ _yours’?_” Yujin hisses, raising an eyebrow; genuinely curious and confused at the rarely shown aggressiveness. “Why are you so pressed, come on? She’s our precious Omega unnie—“

Chaewon abruptly stands, pushing herself off the couch. “She’s not **_YOURS!_**” She roars, snarling angrily at Yujin.

Hyewon covers her nose immediately, scrunching her face as harsh scent of mint exploded around the room. Almost immediately she moves to Eunbi, seeking comfort. The Potential-Alphas and Yuri flinch deeply, getting affected as well.

“Chaewon, sit down.” Eunbi orders her, growling as well. But with her focus split on comforting her Omega, her scent doesn’t have it desired effect on Chaewon.

“You can’t tell me what to do,” snaps Chaewon before sharply turning on her heels to march over to the room.

Nako abruptly stands, but Sakura immediately pushes her back to her seat. She fights back, but a sharp look from her senpai, and Nako relents.

Sakura quickly grabs Chaewon’s wrist, stopping her from opening the door. Chaewon tries to shake herself free, but Sakura is stronger than her. Red clashes with reddish brown for a long moment before Sakura opens her mouth to say something.

“She’s not _yours_,” Sakura harshly intones, glaring down at the angry Alpha with her reddish brown eyes. She doesn’t look affected with how Chaewon’s strong scent lashing out everywhere possible. “She’s not an object you can stake your claim to, Chaewon.”

The older Alpha then yanks her close, scowling. “I _know _you bit Hitomi,” she growls to her ear, careful of the volume of her voice so the others can’t hear, “I won’t ask _why _you did that, but you’ve hurt her beyond measure, Kim Chaewon.” Then, before Chaewon can say anything, Sakura pushes her harshly to the ground, away from Hitomi’s room.

Chaewon groans as she lands on her backside, the pain making her momentarily forget her anger and makes the bitter minty scent to dissipate, allowing the others to breathe normally.

Now without restraint, Eunbi rises to her full height, planning to give some lessons to this rude Alpha.

But the Sub-Alpha’s eyes meet her own, silently telling Eunbi to not do anything.

Eunbi nods, of course, quietly sitting back to her place. She trusts Sakura’s disciplinary method.

Sakura immediately turns her attention back to Chaewon. She gazes into the brown color of Chaewon’s eyes. She can see fear on those eyes. She can sense that Chaewon is slowly submitting, but she is still stubborn on looking back into her eyes.

“Pull another stunt like this and I swear, Kim Chaewon, you _will_ regret it.”

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

The schedule for today consists of nothing but practice, practice, and more practice. It is supposedly an unplanned day off for them, and they are free to do anything they want today. But Eunbi keeps on reminding them they have evaluations tomorrow and they have no choice but to comply with her wish.

Hitomi, now looking better (although still looking out of it), insists to go with them when they all start preparing for practice. What’s more, Yena has planned to do a vlive after practice at dorm 2 and Hitomi thinks that it’s been so long since she appeared to surprise vlive.

“No,” says Eunbi firmly, her hands are firmly clasping Hitomi’s shoulders to keep Hitomi from going to the front door. The lead manager on duty today, Jaewon, peers over from the outside, wondering why everyone but Hitomi is prepared. Usually, she’s the one who prepared first.

“I can still practice,” Hitomi insists softly, trying to move but Eunbi still keeps her rooted on the spot. “Unnie… I’ve had my share of Suppressant today.”

“_Minor _Suppressant,” Nako corrected immediately, the frown on her face reflecting her concern. “You know that meds you’re taking earlier today won’t help you when your second High Heat strikes, right?”

“I know that but—“

“Is Hitomi-ssi in her heat?”

The three remaining occupants turn to Jaewon. His imposing tall figure looks less intimidating from afar, but it is still successful in making them quite uneasy. Eunbi nods her head in his direction, staring determinedly to the tall Beta's—she assumed so, actually— eyes. “Yeah. And she ran out from her usual Suppressant.”

The man rubs his chin, looking thoughtful before he nods. “I can buy the minor type of them from usual pharmacy if you have the prescription, Hitomi-ssi? I think that will do until I, uh, get a hold with Professor Baek.”

Eunbi and Nako missed the nervous look the much older man shoots at them as they are busy on giving intense gaze to Hitomi as if daring the Omega to go against their wish for them to stay put.

Hitomi doesn’t give any care. At the end of the day, Jaewon has the final say. She releases a joyful cry as she makes haste to her room, trying to look for her prescription.

Eunbi shoots Jaewon a glare as Hitomi retreats. “Oppa!”

“What? The girl wants to practice, let her be. Just make sure she’s covered in Blockers and Patches,” he replies easily. “Or do you want to leave her alone here, unattended?”

“We can always check here from time to time by phone or have one of the managers check up on her!” Nako heatedly retorts. “She’s one of the responsible-line, Oppa, not some baby that needs care 24/7!”

Jaewon chuckles at that, giving false hope to Eunbi that he’s agreeing. “That I agree, but do you think if she requires anything that has something to do with her heat, she will call you? The eleven are you, who are all in practice?”

That makes Eunbi thinks. Jaewon has a point. Hitomi is always too mindful to say anything that bothers her. If she thinks it would be an inconvenience for others, she wouldn't even dare to try.

Jaewon is right. There’s no guarantee she will tell something when they are away. They won't know Hitomi's situation.

“That’s what I thought,” Jaewon sighs. “I understand your concern, Eunbi-ssi. But we all know how unpredictable her heat is. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you.” Eunbi certainly doesn’t. Omegas are always a handful during their heat, but Hitomi is on a whole other level. She can be either very passive and submissive or very active and aggressive. No in-between.

“Or… one of us can stay with her?”

“Are you volunteering yourself, Nako-sshi?”

Nako offers a sly grin to Jaewon. “I won’t complain.”

Jaewon beams a smile to her, but he shakes his head. “No,” he says cheerfully, just in time for Hitomi to return to the front door, looking ready for practice. It’s only then they realized Hitomi barely oozes any scent, meaning she’s wearing Blockers more than usual.

Despite being worried, Jaewon nods at her. “Ready to go, Hitomi-ssi?”

Hitomi nods energetically. “Yes! I’ve already sent the prescription.”

“Good,” smiles the man. He ignores the scowling coming from Eunbi and Nako. “Let’s go practice, shall we? Eunbi-ssi, you’re going with me while Hitomi-ssi and Nako-ssi will go with Seungyeon-ssi.”

* * *

“Eh Hitomi?”

Hitomi holds up her palm immediately before the car occupants can ask their question.

“Silence,” she speaks hastily, ignoring Sakura’s gaping mouth, “before you start shouting, I’m getting my Suppressant in an hour or two. Granted, the minor version but it's still my meds. I’ve taken and bringing my other meds with me. I’m wearing double Scent-Patches,” she points at her neck area, where they all can see faint bruises all over the pale surface, “and I’m wearing very thick Blockers all over my body.”

Sakura doesn’t seem convinced. She can’t smell, after all. She turns to Hyewon and Minjoo, asking for their confirmation. “Well?”

Hyewon nods her head. She smiles slightly as she helps Hitomi to sit at the very back. “I can’t smell her heat pheromones,” she says. Minjoo too, also nods her head. “If I don’t know her, I might think she’s a Beta!”

Sakura still doesn’t look convinced. But she can’t really object now that Hitomi is inside and both sensitive-nosed Omega have acknowledged Hitomi’s preparation. “You’re staying close to me, alright Hii-chan? Either me or Nako.”

“Un!” Hitomi nods, beaming a smile. She knows she is safe with Sakura and Nako. Sakura is one of the rare Alpha who isn’t affected too greatly by her pheromones, although Hitomi doesn’t really know the reason why. She always thinks Sakura has great control over herself, even greater than Eunbi.

But it’s not that. While it’s true that Sakura has great control of herself, the reason why she is not too affected by Hitomi’s pheromone is that she can’t really smell pheromones. Only enough for her to be slightly bothered about it, but not enough for her to be truly affected. She can identify everyone’s personal scent, but just barely.

She doesn’t tell this to anyone else but Chaeyeon, although she thinks the Omegas have an inkling about it.

The Sub-Alpha smiles back at her, turning back to her phone to continue her game after manager unnie entered the car.

* * *

It’s not the first time for Hitomi to join group practice while in heat, nor is it for the rest of the Omegas. Being idols, perfection is a must and that means they spent hours and hours of practice in hopes to perfect their choreography while honing their skills individually so they can still survive when there is no IZ*ONE in the future.

Being humans with recurring physiological changes that drastically affect their daily activity, Alpha and Omega idols have a drastic disadvantage compared to Beta idols. With cyclical ruts and heats every few months, their practice time can be cut down drastically as they are forced to be exempted from group practice during the first day of their rut or heat. Meaning, a group with diverse rank within the members will have to work so much harder, have to invest more time than groups with less-diverse rank in the practice room together before that can happen.

But sometimes, idol groups are too pressed on time. Too busy to add another set of practice time on their tight schedules. And that leads to the majority of Alpha and Omega relying on Suppressants, Blockers, and Patches. But especially Omega idols.

Hitomi, Hyewon, and Minjoo are no exception.

_However, _Hyewon has always been lucky with her schedules and she has an Alpha mate that can take care of her quickly and efficiently, so it’s never a big problem. She only relies on Blockers and Patch due to this convenience. Minjoo has less cycle per year and her heat isn’t as painful due to her special gene. She never has any needs to consume Suppressant and like Hyewon, relies on the Alphas around her.

But Hitomi? Ever since she is first presented in late 2018, Hitomi is strictly controlled by her Specialized Suppressants intake. As long as she consumed it on time, High Heat won’t be a hassle for her. Painful, but not unbearable.

But without them, she’s just as vulnerable as any other Omega in their heat.

Today, Hitomi is walking on a very thin surface.

* * *

“Alright, break time!” Eunbi announced, grinning ear to ear when she hears the sounds of cheers coming from her members. Everyone immediately scampers around the spacious practice room, eager to be away from each other’s ‘stinky’ pheromones that wafted off with every bead of sweat escaping from their skin pores.

(they idly wonder if Hitomi ever smelled foul because _damn_, with the Blockers faltering, she _still _smells insanely good.)

Eunbi and Chaeyeon, always the one who checks their recording before anyone and do just that while the others are still catching their breath after repeated rehearsals. The rest of the members are currently flocking around Yena, once again fascinated by the Halfling’s ability to make herself a running gag show to entertain her members.

It’s until Wonyoung loudly exclaims how thirsty she is and is craving for some cold drink.

Yuri throws a bottle full of cool water to her. “You have this.”

“But I want some sprite!”

Eunbi, from the other side of the room, perked up at the mention of her favorite drink. “Sprite?”

“Not just any sprites,” Wonyoung promptly adds, stroking her chin with a brooding expression. “I want it the usual canned one, alright, but the surface must be the most perfect shades of green—“

Sakura suddenly stands. “Alright, that’s enough! Who wants to go with me?” the Sub-Alpha asks, not expecting anyone will come with her.

Hitomi unexpectedly stands, claiming she’s going to help Sakura on carrying all the drinks. “But only if you’re paying,” she jokes playfully, skipping over to Sakura who is already standing near the door.

The Sub-Alpha chuckles. “Come on.”

Neither of them realized a pair of eyes narrowing dangerously in their direction as they walk together towards the exit.

* * *

Few minutes after Hitomi and Sakura left, the group disperse to do whatever they want to do while they wait for vocal practice.

They don’t expect someone else but IZ*ONE members come inside their practice room, so it’s a surprise when they hear a male voice ringing around the spacious room.

“Excuse me, where can I find Honda Hitomi-ssi?”

Chaeyeon’s eyebrows rise as a stranger peek into their practice room, holding a box inside a plastic wrap. They stare at each other for a few seconds before the male stranger averts his gaze away, trying to find other occupants in the room.

“Hitomi is away for now,” Yuri answers politely, pushing herself off the ground to approach the man. “Is there anything you’d like to deliver to her?”

“Ah, this package.” The man practically shoves the box to her hands. “From JH Pharmacy delivery service under the name of Professor Baek Jinhyuk for Honda Hitomi.”

“_Professor_?” Yuri echoes, raising an eyebrow. “Baek Jinhyuk? I never heard of him?”

The man only tips his head down, stammering his gratitude before hastily bidding a goodbye almost as if he is escaping. She attempts to stop him, wanting the courier to tell something that might shed some light on this strange discovery but she stops herself, reminding to not be so nosy.

“What’s that?” Eunbi asks her, narrowing her eyes at the sight of the unfamiliar box on Yuri’s hands.

The Beta shrugs. “I don’t know,” she puts the box inside Hitomi’s large bag. “If he said it’s from the pharmacy, then it might be her usual stock.”

Eunbi nods before returning to what she was doing.

The practice room is silent again, with the only sound coming from Hyewon’s and Nako’s phone as the two are playing games together, also with the occasional screaming coming from them as enemies coming unexpectedly.

Then, Yuri’s phone rings. She doesn’t think too much as she answers it.

“Hello?”

Sakura’s panicked voice immediately entered her ears, uncharacteristically panicky and lacked any form of her peculiar drawling.

“Get me Suppressants, get me Blockers, get me Patches. Get me everything!”

Just by that command alone, she can immediately conclude Hitomi’s meds have worn off, and Yuri only has less than thirty minutes before the second period of Hitomi's High Heat starts.

Her mind quickly gears up to _Protective Beta _mode as Eunbi would always say it. It focuses her senses with the goal is to make sure the Omega is safe. “Gotcha!” Yuri nods her head sharply, turning around to fetch Hitomi’s bag. She figured Hitomi would have all of those necessary items. “Where are you, unnie?”

“1st-floor Omega room.” Yuri can hear whimpers—Hitomi’s—on the other side. “Quickly, Yuri!”

Yuri shouted an okay before bolting out the room. She doesn’t even realize half of her members are already on their feet, expecting Yuri to share the information before going.

But Yuri doesn’t. She leaves without saying anything.

Nako is the first to sit back down again, heaving a sigh as she slumps back to Hyewon.

“Why aren’t you going, too?” Hyewon questions.

The Pure Beta merely shrugs her shoulders. Hyewon can feel sadness radiating from her.

“I won’t be of any help.”

* * *

Yuri zooms past Chaewon who just exited the toilet.

The Alpha doesn’t think too much of it, but she follows her out of curiosity until Yuri takes the stairs instead of the lift.

She concludes that it isn’t her business and turns on her heels.

* * *

It feels like an eternity running through the corridors, although it’s less than five minutes have passed.

She didn’t take the lift—it’s a busy day and she can’t afford to stop at every floor. Stairs are better. Tiring, but more effective that way.

Her lungs burn at excretion, her head feeling dizzy after long minutes of full sprinting down the stairs and corridors. Her feet feel like jelly, wobbly, and weak—but Yuri keeps on her diligence.

She can rest after Hitomi is safe.

Her effort is paid. Hitomi’s High Heat hasn’t started yet upon her arrival. Her scent isn’t flaring out uncontrollably, so the second wave of High Heat is only just starting; still nowhere to the peak.

Sakura doesn’t even thank her when she shoves Hitomi’s bag containing all the necessary items to her. But Yuri doesn’t care. She’s not doing this for Sakura—she’s doing this for Hitomi! And that same person is giving her a weak grateful smile. And that is enough.

The Halfling collapsed soon, laying down on the pristine white floor of the Omega room while Sakura helps Hitomi with her meds. She wonders if Sakura can feel any sort of arousal?

_I mean_,_ Kkura unnie is an Alpha._

Even she is feeling a bit… _heated_. And that’s coming from a Halfling with incomplete Omega genetics. Moreover, Hitomi’s scent is still a bit covered by the strong neutral scent of the Blockers.

_Hitomi’s pheromones are scary._

“Yuri?”

The main vocal immediately sits up straights, cocking an eyebrow up at Sakura’s call. “Yes, unnie?”

Sakura looks like she’s hesitating. “We don’t know whether or not the meds kick in before her High Heat starts. So… I’ll need you to stay with her while I get C-Her Alpha to help her before we send her back to the dorm early.”

_Her Alpha? _Well, Yuri knows about the mark. Everyone in dorm 1 knows about it, but only Wonyoung doesn’t know what the hell does it mean. Yuri knows about it and the effect it brings to marked Omegas. Hitomi, as a marked Omega, will reject any Alpha scents that isn’t ‘her’ Alpha. Even when the other Alphas intended to soothe her pain.

(Apparently, for some reason Hitomi also rejected Minjoo, but only Chaeyeon is aware of this fact.)

“What do you want me to do?” She carefully asks her, slowly getting up from the floor as she regards Hitomi’s pained expression with a sorrowful gaze. She feels her heart breaks.

“Just be here with here until C-_her _Alpha arrived,” Sakura’s gaze turns hard. “_Don’t_ do anything stupid when her Alpha arrived, Yuri. I swear, I don’t need any more dramas here.”

“But whoever that is, they made Hitomi—“

Sakura growls out her warning. The scent of cherry-blossom—Sakura’s personal scent wafts off immediately, attacking Yuri’s sinuous without any mercy. While Sakura’s scent isn’t as sharp nor strong as normal Alphas, with the lack of ability to react to pheromones, Sakura can’t tell if the scent she released is too much.

It is something that makes everyone never try to mess around with Sakura, aside from the fact Sakura is already a renowned idol even before Produce 48. One time, she made a trainee collapse because of her scent. She didn’t do anything. She just sat there and concentrated to release her scent. She doesn’t show mercy. Not even to her friends.

“_Yuri._”

Yuri stands firm for only less than a minute before her resolve crumbled into dust. Her olfactory senses waving their white flag when the pheromones concentration only becomes higher and higher to the point she feels light-headed. “_FINE. _I won’t do anything,” she swears, throwing her hands up in the air as she expels a harsh sigh.

The thick cherry-blossom scent dissipates immediately, so as the doubtful look on Sakura’s narrowed eyes. She doesn’t say anything else as she turns, leaving the room with heavy and rapid footsteps.

Looking back to Hitomi, Yuri steels herself.

Only a glance and she knows.

_Come._

Hitomi is deliberately luring her.

* * *

Hitomi knows it’s wrong. She knows it’s wrong. Very wrong and very immoral of her.

But she can’t help it. No, she can’t.

She doesn’t _want _to submit to Chaewon, despite her Omega alter ego yelling at her to do just that.

She won’t.

But don’t get her wrong. Hitomi doesn’t hate Chaewon. On the contrary, Hitomi loves Chaewon. She is still madly in love with her. She still loves her despite all the **_things_** she’d done in the past. Despite all the **_fear _**crawling on the back of her mind.

While she loves her, Hitomi doesn’t want it to repeat. Doesn’t want the feeling of being touched, of being _used—_to _return_.

But she was **MARKED**. Her body, under the effect of claiming poison Chaewon had injected her with, will naturally seek the Alpha. Even it’s not on her heat, Hitomi can feel herself – her _Omega _alter ego – yearning for the Alpha’s attention, kisses, touches… _everything. _

Every day, it’s another internal battle. Every day, it’s another battle of patience. Every day, it’s another battle of wills.

Battles that Hitomi knows she is _losing_ as days gone by.

Hitomi doesn’t want to admit that, of course. She’s _never _going to admit that. Ever.

And that’s why—she is sorry—she is luring Yuri.

She _wants _and _has _to spend her second wave of High Heat with her. Not with Sakura or Chaewon—_especially_ Chaewon. Willing to do anything just to not spend her heat with Chaewon again, rebelling against her Omega alter ego’s wishes. Against her morals, too.

Sakura’s pheromones hurt her since she is an Alpha, but Yuri? Yuri is a _Halfling_, a _part-Omega_. A Beta, but only partially so.

Unlike Nako, Yuri can still be affected and because she is a part-Omega, she won’t go into a rut-like state like Yena—who is a part-Alpha. The most she can do is probably losing herself to lust, just like Hyewon and Minjoo had experienced.

And that is perfect.

“_Yuri…”_

Hitomi sees how Yuri gulps, her eyes are already clouded in lust. She can see how the blonde-haired vocalist has conflicting thoughts—whether to take a step forward or a step back. Whether to throw out her _Omega Protector _title or give in to the irresistible temptation.

The Omega smirks, going all out with her seduction as she takes off her cardigan, excreting her scent in full force. It’s not as alluring as usual with Blockers and Patches, but it’s still enough to make Yuri stagger back and finally abides by her command.

She welcomes Yuri, letting the Halfling crawls on top of her to straddle her.

The blonde leans forward, nearly capturing Hitomi’s lips if she doesn’t stop midway. “Why… do you do this?”

Ah, so she is still resisting. As expected from a Beta. Always so strong against temptation.

As expected from _Jo Yuri._

“I have to,” Hitomi answers softly, her tone sultry as she combs her fingers through Yuri’s bright hair, looking pained as she continues, “I don’t want… I don’t want her to _touch _me, Yuri… please… not again…”

* * *

“Unnie? Where is Hitomi unnie? Where are our drinks?”

Sakura only stares blankly at Yujin. Her expression shows that she won’t entertain her question.

“Chaewon. Where is Chaewonnie?”

The Pure Alpha perks up from her spot, plugging out her earphones away as she leans back to look at Sakura. There is a certain awkwardness and a little bit of resentment left in her eyes, but Sakura chooses to ignore it.

“You called, unnie?”

“Chaewon.”

Chaewon cocks an eyebrow up. The previous little hostility in her eyes disappears, replaced by curiosity and confusion.

Seeing that, Sakura can almost hear herself questioning everything. There is no way this harmless Pure Alpha forced a claiming mark on Hitomi, right? They must like each other for this claiming to happen? But what about Minjoo? Aren’t Chaewon and Minjoo dating? Does this mean Chaewon cheated on Minjoo? Or were they already over when it happened?

Too many questions.

“Unnie?” Chaewon is standing now, her hands on her pocket to tuck her earphones and phone away. “Where are Hitomi and Yuri?”

The Sub-Alpha’s gaze briefly lands to Minjoo before it returns to Chaewon. Choosing to ignore the question, Sakura tugs on the younger’s sleeve.

“Can we talk? Privately?”


	7. Chapter 7

**C**haewon nods her head. She hesitated at first, but she knows Sakura isn’t going to do anything. She’s sure of it.

The older Alpha tugs on her sleeve. A little harder this time. “Come on,” she says, before releasing it to walk in front of Chaewon, leading her outside the practice room.

Chaewon obediently follows close behind her, keeping her silence. She’s not sure what Sakura is going to talk about, although she guessed it maybe revolves around Hitomi. Sakura already knows that it’s her mark, after all.

They stop in front of the storage room. A pretty secluded place on the floor. Voices don’t echo here either.

“Okay,” Chaewon looks around, still a bit intimidated at the lack of living beings walking around the usually crowded corridor. “What do you want to talk about?”

“It’s about Hitomi.”

Chaewon automatically releases a snort. It earns an offended look coming from the Japanese woman, but Chaewon doesn’t care.

“What about her?” The Pure Alpha asks, trying to sound nonchalant yet failed. She’s always bad at hiding her own emotion. An endearing trait if Sakura isn’t too annoyed right now. 

Sakura leans back to the wall, giving Chaewon a long stare before opening her mouth. “You marked her, right?” She waits until the younger Alpha nods before continuing, “Then why didn’t you help her last night? Were you deliberately torturing her, Chaewonnie? You’re still dating Minjoo, aren’t you?”

“No and no!” Chaewon quickly shakes her head, her hands waving side to side furiously. Her eyes are wide as they stare back at Sakura’s annoyed and curious expression. 

“I was asking why didn’t you help Hitomi, Chaewon,” Sakura ignores how Chaewon seems to freeze on the spot. Taking a sharp intake of breath, she continues, “I expect a full answer, not a yes or no answer.”

“I—I wasn’t allowed to,” Chaewon decides to answer the first question, her mind replaying back to what had transpired last night. _How dare they, denying what is _**_hers. _**Her blood boils, but she forces herself to keep her composure. “Nako and Chaeyeon didn’t allow me to help her…”

Sakura’s creased eyebrows immediately soften. Makes sense, she supposes. Chaeyeon is the ‘leader’ of the dorm 1 and Hitomi is an Omega under her care. It’s only natural for her to be protective over Hitomi, especially when they recently found out about the mark. Nako is expected too. She is a Pure Beta, it’s in her blood to become a little overprotective over Omegas, especially those younger than hers.

“What about you and Minjoo? Are you two still dating?”

Pain flashes on Chaewon’s bright brown eyes, causing Sakura to flinch back in surprise. 

“Chaewon?”

The Pure Alpha jolts, as if rudely interrupted from her train of thoughts. They stare at each other until Chaewon can’t take it anymore, exhaling sharply as she looks away.

“Minjoo and I… aren’t dating anymore…”

Awkward silence.

Sakura opens her mouth. “I’m—“

“I don’t need it,” the younger cuts off unexpectedly. She still stubbornly maintains her gaze away from Sakura, choosing to focus it on the smooth surface of the floor tiles. “We’re over and that’s the past. I don’t care about the past. I don’t care. She’s not mine and I don’t love her anymore.”

Sakura wonders how does that sentence can roll off Chaewon’s lips so easily. She never pegs Chaewon to be a good liar.

It pains her greatly to hear that.

“I… see…” Sakura awkwardly trails off, shifting a bit farther than Chaewon to lean on the wall. “I’m sorry to bring that up.”

The younger doesn’t look like she cares. “Don’t be.” She tips her head up slightly. “Now can you answer my previous question?”

Sakura blinks, nervously shifting her gaze away from Chaewon. “What question?”

Luckily, Chaewon isn’t being her impatient self today. “Hitomi, unnie,” she replies calmly. “Where is she?”

* * *

After what it feels like an eternity, Yuri pulls away from Hitomi, hurriedly scrambling away from the small bed and running to the sink sitting at the corner of the room. She only stands there, gripping the sink as if her life depended on it as she tries to catch her breath.

It was _so _close. _She _was so close to losing herself, succumbing to Hitomi’s terrifying influence over her will.

“Yuri…”

The Halfling almost turned around, almost giving in once again at that alluring whine. But she mustn’t do that. She’s _not. _“That Suppressant should have kicked in now,” Yuri cuts off harshly, forcing out a shudder of breath that racked her whole body. She wills herself to ignore that dull ache resurfacing on her head, courtesy of that scent that ensnares her senses.

How stupid of her. She should have remembered Suppressant did nothing good for Marked Omegas. Sure, it eased their pain a little but it’s still _too little._ It’s just not the same as other Omegas, wherein the symptoms will be more acutely controlled compared to before.

Marked Omegas need their _Alpha_ to put a stop to their painful heat.

“Just… a little bit more…” Hitomi whines again, the small cheap bed creaking as she crawls closer—until Yuri doesn’t hear it anymore, as the Omega is already on her two feet, steadily dragging her body towards her. “Please Yuri… you are my only hope now.”

And Yuri is aware of that. She’s the only one who can help Hitomi with her current condition if she is still stubborn about staying away from Chaewon. She along with the Omegas and Nako, the Pure Beta.

She won’t be a big help, but the pleasure rippling along the Omega’s body will be enough to rid her mind of the painful sensation.

Her breath hitches, a groan bubbling out her throat as the Omega drapes herself on her back. She lightly circles her slender arms around Yuri’s waist, her lips finding its place on Yuri’s nape as her mouth continues to spill more plea Yuri has a hard time on ignoring. 

The blonde-haired woman trashes weakly, trying to pry the stubborn arms off her while continuously mumbling “this isn’t right” and “please, Hitomi” in repeat. Like a broken record.

But Hitomi is that. _Stubborn_. Yuri knows that—_everyone _knows that. Hard-working and stubborn—is Honda Hitomi. Never one to give up in the middle, she is. Will chase her prey until she has sunk her teeth into their neck—until they stopped moving and resisting.

A true predator; if she isn’t an Omega.

But Yuri… Yuri is a _Beta_, damn it.

Her hierarchy rank is higher than Omega's. She is _superior_. Beta is on top of Omega, not the way around.

If anyone is supposed to be the prey in this narrative, then it shouldn’t be her.

But now it feels like the positions have been switched.

She’s never a religious person, but this one time, she prays for anyone—_anything_ that will stop this stubborn creature to continue this debauchery with her.

_Knock knock knock_

“Hitoma? Yuri?”

Yuri’s gaze shoots up towards the door.

Her prayer has been answered.

* * *

The moment Chaewon’s voice rings around the small room, Hitomi stumbles back, scrambling away from Yuri and back to the bed. Almost immediately, the Omega covered herself with the forgotten blanket sitting at the edge of the bed, with her head peeking out to fearfully look at the closed door.

“No,” she pleads, shaking her head as Yuri stares at the door. “Yuri, please don’t open the door.”

“…I’m sorry.”

And then Chaewon enters the room, strangely too calm as she locked eyes with Yuri, who only stands there frozen, and Hitomi, who is hiding under the blanket coated in Alpha-repellent.

“Yuri,” Yuri flinched a bit, “has she taken any Suppressant?”

She knows where the doubt comes from. Hitomi is still breathing heavily and her scent is still filling the room, thick and alluring. Anyone would think Hitomi is still under the full influence of her heat, still so deep in her heat haze. 

“…Yes she has,” Yuri confidently answered her, although she did tremble at the end of her sentence.

Chaewon narrows her gaze at her, deepening Yuri’s flinch. 

“Good,” she unexpectedly mutters, causing the Halfling’s eyebrows to shoot up underneath her light-colored bangs. “Now get out and call someone to take Hitomi back to the dorm.”

Yuri doesn’t need to be told twice, although she hesitated a little before ultimately leaving Hitomi alone with the Alpha that claim-marked her. She is sorry, but however loyal she is to her friends, if she’s continuously exposed to Hitomi’s _and _Chaewon’s unbearably dense pheromones, she is going to lose her sense of smell.

As soon as the door is shut, Chaewon makes her way towards the Omega, who is still pathetically curling underneath the blanket coated in Alpha-repellent.

Chaewon doesn’t feel anything but dull ache, which is quite unusual with how thick Hitomi’s filling around the room. She pushed away that curious feeling, choosing to heave a sigh of relief she’s not here like some mindless beast eager to breed.

The Alpha holds both of her arms up as she sits down by the edges, her gaze is still sharp, but holds something else Hitomi isn’t sure she wanted to identify it as _love_.

Concern is probably the more appropriate word to describe the certain warmth shining in Chaewon’s brilliant brown orbs.

“I’m not going to touch you,” She says after a long silence. Her voice is light and clear—feminine and almost childish. Lacked that intimidating growl her Alpha-driven self usually rumbled in her throat. “Just… let me get close and let my scent do all the work.”

Hitomi unexpectedly snarls at her. Her hostile action caused Chaewon to flinch back, surprised at the aggressiveness of the usually passive woman.

“Why do you care?” She hisses aggressively, her breath rapid and heavy as she maintains her sharp gaze towards the Alpha. Her eyes are glossy with tears, clouded with lust and resentment. “Why do you care _now? _You didn’t care _back then_—you didn’t _care _last night. So why do you care _now_?”

“Because I’m sorry,” Chaewon answers her in a clear voice, stubbornly scooting closer with her hands still high up in the air. Her eyes are still brown-colored, but Hitomi can see annoyance starting to surface. Faint redness swirling inside the pool of murky brown orbs. “I genuinely want to help you get through this, Hitoma. Truly. I’m at fault for Marking you twice and I can’t turn back now. I’m sorry. I should have—“

Hitomi lashes out.

The Omega lurched from her place, pouncing on top of the Alpha and pins her down with the strength Chaewon never knew an Omega like Hitomi possessed.

Using Chaewon’s surprise as her advantage, Hitomi sits on top of the Alpha’s stomach, her hands pressing down the former’s chest.

With difficulties, Chaewon tries to inhale as much air as she can, all while giving the Omega on top of her a fearful questioning look. 

The young, brown-haired Omega chuckles coldly; causing fear rippling down Chaewon’s skin, eliciting the hair on her neck to stand.

“You said you are sorry?” She queries, eyes narrowing. Her voice, void of any other emotions but cold fury, is trembling at the end. “You are sorry because you _marked me_? Truly? You’re only sorry because you took away my freedom of getting laid by other Alpha except you? Really, unnie?”

_Is it true? _She questions herself—her blood running cold when she can’t even deny herself to deny the _assumption. _“Hitomi I—“

Hitomi chuckles coldly. “Is that it, unnie? Do you even remember—no, of course, you _don’t. _It’s _my fault_ for _luring_ you to settle my heat back then. You told me it’s _my _fault,” Hitomi’s body trembled, “Y—You _raped _me, unnie. You did. But you told me it’s my fault. My. My my my my—“

“Hitomi that’s not true—!“

Chaewon is once again gets cut off by her own groan—surprised as Hitomi’s grip on her clothes tightens, and the fact that Hitomi is grinding against her stomach. She can’t say if the action is deliberate, but it caught her off-guard just the same.

“That’s not true?” Hitomi snorts, rolling her eyes, clenching her teeth. “Maybe I should have told you the truth back then, unnie.” Shudder. “But it’s the past, isn’t it? It—doesn’t matter.”

The Alpha beneath her continues to stare at her with her glossy eyes, still with the same dumbfounded expression. 

Hitomi’s hold on her shirt tightens—her nail digs into her clothes, barely scraping her skin. Her scent turns unbearably bitter—but weirdly enticing to Chaewon’s senses.

“Every night, I dreamt of that night. Of that day at the airport.”

“Every night, I lost sleep—always waking up in ungodly hours, feeling disgusted at myself.”

“Because of you, I can’t get close with everyone like before. I’m always afraid they will notice your scent mixed with mine and they—and they will—“ She never finished it; choosing to swallow her words after a shudder of breath. 

The Alpha continues to stare silently, all while trying to control her bated breath. There’s more than confusion and guilt; there’s horror, disgust, and disbelief. To whom, Hitomi chooses to ignore it.

Obviously, it’s for Hitomi—isn’t it? She _is _the _one at fault_.

“Maybe you are right.”

Chaewon resisted another urge to groan as Hitomi bends down, pressing her clothed breast against her as Hitomi leans closer to her ear. The Alpha’s hands instinctively fly up from her sides, gripping the Omega’s petite waist firmly, forcing the latter’s smaller frame closer to her.

But Hitomi is quick to slap those hands away, causing the hands to retract with a little dismayed and pained ‘ouch’.

Hitomi moves her hands this time. Crawling up from the older woman’s clothes to comb Chaewon’s short hair, tugging on the light brown locks, the pad of her fingers massaging her scalp.

The Omega observes how Chaewon seems to surrenders to her touch, pathetically whimpering out her pleasure and shedding her aggressive side of the Alpha that is forced to lay dormant by either the Alpha-repellent blanket or Chaewon’s sheer will.

If only she did that in the past.

“Maybe I’m as disgusting as you say back then.” She paused, using the opportunity to nibble on Chaewon’s earlobe, making the Alpha beneath her to whimper even louder, gripping the blanket beneath her desperately. “Because I’m _luring _you right now, am I?”

“You want me because,” she paused again. The pain—the **_pain_. **“I’m in h-heat, is that right, Kim Chaewon?”

“It's—It’s not,” Chaewon hisses. Her hands fly up again, gripping the fabric of Hitomi’s tank tops instead of her waist. “I want to—because you’re _you—_my _Hitoma—_I don’t want to see you in pain—“

“_Your Hitoma_?” She hums, deliberately adding more pressure on her fingers before grinding down again. She ignores the painful clench on her heart. “Am I really, Chaewonnie?”

“Y—yes, _fuck—“ _groan. _growl_. “You are mine—**_Mine_**.”

And it’s all that it needs for Hitomi to surrender.

* * *

A _kiss _isn’t quite right to describe it. Chaewon isn’t kissing her—it’s more like she’s devouring her mouth. Aggressive and needy to the point Hitomi isn’t sure who is the one in heat and who is helping who.

Hitomi tries her best reciprocate it, though; channeling all of her lust and desire as an Omega in need. She firmly latches her mouth to Chaewon, again and again whenever Chaewon broke the kiss to instinctively move to her neck area to stake her claim _again_.

She might be the one fucking her senseless in due time, but she won’t let this Alpha do whatever she wants to do.

She won’t let her claim-mark get renewed _again._

But the most surprising thing happens.

Chaewon suddenly lurches off her, crawling backward away from her looking guilty and shameful. No certain redness in her eyes. Just brown. Plain brown.

“Hitoma—“ Her voice cracks as she begins. Her eyes are watery as they stare back at Hitomi’s clouded and confused eyes. “I—I’m sorry. I made you uncomfortable, didn’t I?”

Hitomi keeps her silence. Too focused on controlling the painful sensation as her Heat returns in full force.

But Chaewon doesn’t know that, of course. Too consumed with her guilt to even notice the change in the atmosphere.

“I—I said I wasn’t going to touch you but here I am—“

Her rambling was sharply cut off by her own cough, taken aback at the increase of pheromones in the air. 

“It’s—Okay,” Hitomi says, biting her lips as she crawls shakily closer. She doesn’t look aware that every time she pads closer, the harder it is for Chaewon to breathe. “Do it, Alpha.”

Chaewon gapes, her eyebrows scrunched as she struggles to maintain her composure, her mind too clouded under the sudden attack of the Omega’s scent. Despite that Chaewon can still smell the bitter taste of Alpha-repellent and Blockers in her sinuous, the effect isn’t as effective as before.

She _feels _it. The dangerous side of hers that has grown stronger since the day she is first presented as an Alpha. That treacherous side of hers who is desperate for Hitomi’s attention even when she is with Minjoo.

The Alpha claws the sheets underneath her palms, biting her lips until they bleed to force _that side _of hers to go away. She told Hitomi she’s _not _going to do _anything! _She will help her with her scent alone, and that’s _it_! 

Chaewon is—actually feeling guilty. For what she had done back then at the hotel, on that restroom—all because her Alpha-self is a cunning beast that knows no bounds. She’s been told about this by her family, about how Pure Alpha’s Inner Wolf can be _obsessed_ if they found a perfect Omega to bear their offspring.

Chaewon just never thought her Alpha-self found it in Hitomi. Never thought how it would desperately do anything to secure her as her mate. Never thought it _dared_—

Her eyes flashed red as Hitomi is finally in front of her, grinding on her lap and gripping her short hair desperately. Her tantalizing neck, marred with the bite wound she gave her months ago is right in front of her, and it takes all of her remaining sanity to not give in to the throbbing feelings on her gum and clamp her mouth around that mark.

“I can hurt you again.”

Hitomi shakes her head. Her grip tightens. 

“I’ll make sure you won't.”

Chaewon growls. _Lies, lies._

“Mine,” she rumbles, and presses forward.

* * *

Hitomi swallows her screams, driving her fear away; moving forward herself to meet Chaewon half-way.

The Alpha kisses her hungrily, probing her tongue until Hitomi’s moist lips part away, granting her access inside her mouth. The latter mewls, shutting her eyes tightly as pleasure—_fear fear fear—_ripples through her body as Chaewon’s hands go under her blouse, kneading her mounds still restrained in an article of clothing.

* * *

Hitomi’s hands, cling to her nape—trembling, desperate—and claws her skin lightly, as if encouraging Chaewon to do her works. Silently egging her on to do _more_.

Chaewon silently abides her request, moving her hands down to her heat; stretching her open with her fingers. Hitomi moans to their kiss, her fingers curling against her neck. Chaewon groans, settling her lips to the dip between the Omega’s collarbones, sucking the skin until she leaves a mark.

She moves; keeping her pace languid until Hitomi grinds to her palm, whining her name.

“Unnie—“ She hears between the dragging slick sounds, “_Please_—“

“Please what?” Chaewon can’t help but tease, moving her lips up to find the mark. Her gums throb, but she ignores it, grinding her teeth together instead of clamping it around the mark. “Please _what_, Hitoma?”

“F-Faster,” the Omega whines out, clenching hard again. Her movement becomes more desperate, more urgent. “More. Unnie, please—_ahh—“_

Chaewon immediately jerks her wrist, her digits drilling deeper, and pumps them at a significantly faster pace. Hitomi moans loudly in response, shuddering as her walls clench tightly around Chaewon.

The Alpha can feel her member getting painfully hard to ignore. Hitomi’s whimpers and moans continuously drive her to the edge, but—_but—_

Will Hitomi let her?

* * *

Everything hurts. She’s going in a heat-induced rut. She tried her best, she really did.

Chaewon completely lost her control the moment Hitomi comes around her fingers.

* * *

It’s all a blur.

When Chaewon looks down, she can only see Hitomi, looking so scared and pained. She is pinned against the wall, crying, and she realized—she _is _the one who is pinning the Omega against the wall. She is rutting on Hitomi—_hurting _her and marked her against her will.

She yells, screaming “_No!” _and tries to pull herself away from Hitomi—but it didn’t work. She watched in horror as _she _continued to fuck the petite Omega mercilessly, not even heeding the pleas from her.

Chaewon cries, yelling to _herself _to stop, why is she hurting Hitomi after she _promised_—until she notices Hitomi’s hair. Blonde.

Her blood runs cold.

* * *

It’s all a blur.

It repeats.

* * *

It’s all a blur.

When Chaewon looks down, she can only see Hitomi, looking so pained and desperate. She is underneath her, crying and keeps on mumbling her pleas—for Chaewon to get rid of her pain.

Chaewon’s mouth opens, but no sounds are coming out. _What is happening? _She asks herself, moving her gaze around until it settles to Hitomi’s hair. Brown.

Her blood runs cold.

Chaewon gapes, struggling to comprehend anything when Hitomi draws her in, until the tip of her shaft dips between her folds, and the Omega squirms. Chaewon feels something roar inside her—and she jerks forward, pushing her length inside until they are fully wrapped by the Omega’s throbbing walls.

She cries out, jolting and in result, wrapped Chaewon tightly, making the latter groan at the sensation. “Chaewon unnie!” She cries before melting into an incoherent mess as Chaewon started to move her hips.

“Hitomi,” Chaewon moans, biting her lips. She thrusts deeply again, groaning. It feels perfect—how Hitomi wraps around her, she means—how tight and small, but strangely a perfect match for her size. Perfect. Hitomi is perfect.

_Mine, _she hears herself growl possessively. The **_other side of her_**. _Yours, Ours—she’s your, our, Omega. Claim her. Do it. Knot her. Bite her. Left. Do it. Claim, claim, claim._

**_No, _**she growls at the voice, at the _other side of her_. She shuts her eyes, her irritation is reflected by the sudden increase of her thrusts, causing Hitomi to scream. _I don’t want to hurt her again! I don’t want to hurt her again!_

“Unn—_ahh—Unnie!_” 

The Omega shudders as she spills her slick, but Chaewon doesn’t _stop_. She keeps rutting mindlessly into her, ignoring Hitomi’s cries and screams.

_Foolish girl, _the voice growls, _she’s waiting for you to do it. Knot her. Bite her. Do it, Chaewon. Knot her. Bite her. _

“Alpha!” Hitomi cries out again, trying to push her away. She can feel the Alpha is trying to drive her knot inside, and is inching even closer to her neck. “Alpha _please—_Stop! _Stop!”_

_Don’t stop, _it says wickedly as it slowly pushes Chaewon away from control. Chaewon tries to scream, but _the other her _laughs instead. Hitomi whimpers beneath her, crying as the knot is buried inside her.

“Y-You promised—“

_I did! _Chaewon tries to say._ Don’t hurt her! Please! We promised to her!_

“I didn’t,” the other her says, thrusting deeply again. Hitomi arches her back, biting her lips. The Alpha inches closer to her, and now Hitomi can fully see the deep red orbs more clearly this time around.

She’s Chaewon, but at the same time, she’s _not._

_She _grins wickedly. “_Your_ Chaewon did, Omega. She did. Foolish girl. So stupid and naive.” Her grins grow wide, baring her teeth. “She wants you, yes; but doesn’t want to mark you. How stupid. How stupid.”

Chaewon can see Hitomi looks terrified. _No! _She cries, _Don’t do anything to her! Please! You’ve done it twice, isn’t that enough?!_

“It’s not,” the other answers, nosing against the clear space on the left side of Hitomi’s neck. The Omega struggles, screaming. “It’s for your own good, Kim Chaewon. Honda Hitomi must be yours.”

And bites down.


End file.
